As long as the Union is chipping away at the company's outrageous demands...There is no need to strike. Under the federal labor laws which heavily favor the Unions, it would be foolish to voluntarily go off the payroll. The Union members are getting paid, and still enjoying there contract benefits. This is a Win Win for the Union. To all the Union members calling for a strike...What's the rush?? Your getting paid, and your inching toward a contract, ever so slowly, but again whats the rush? You will be on strike if the company dares to implement any part of a new contract or lock you out. They have not done that. So your actually making progress towards your goal of getting the contract you want and not a contract they're trying to give you. Also all this is being done while your getting paid. Win Win.
40 replies (most recent on top)
They want to sell the wireline side....but NOBODY will buy a company with a no layoff clause, underfunding of medical, underfunding of pension liabilities, etc.
The pension is not totally funded,
Per the last report, there is about 3 Billion in unfunded liability.
The health care is real issue. About 30 billion.
Thanks I love to read and I will surely pick this book up. Thanks again
Read Retirement Heist by Ellen E. Schultz , The pension funds were the cash cow of many corps. Companies raided them until the gov laws caught up and then they became a liability. They used worker pension funds to fund executive pension, a disgrace. If you read the book you will get sick to your stomach , the American workers was taken advantage of. (blue collar /white collar) Book also goes in to medical, and other benefits that were promised when the worker was hired.
"I disagree pension funds must be kept separate from working capital accounts" Maybe now they must be, but go back to the end of year financials after the GTE merger completed. You will see the 4 bill. Accounting rules were changed the following year due the VZ sleight of hand.
The fuel savings alone in the last 8 months would cover all the union demands.
I disagree pension funds must be kept separate from working capital accounts
@GKQDDY2 Wrong. Pension funds are one of the main reasons companies are taken over. Ask somebody from GTE. Just exactly where do you think the the initial $4 bill fios money came from?
"We are too busy making calls for Bernie" And that's your problem right there. You freaking loons love being ruled. Ruled by a company, a union, and now you want a closeted marxist to for your trifecta. You people are saps. Pawns. Tools. But most of the time just useful idiots.
but the pension is funded
@ntq not sold yet
ntq- the current pension liability is one of the reasons the east wireline has not been sold yet. No one can afford that liability except for maybe Google. So that should tell you why the company is fighting so hard.
with 39,000 Union members, if the company gave the union everythign it wanted, how much could that really cost. with attrition, in 10 years, the union menmbership will be less than 25,000. So I dont undertstand the fight, I can only imagine the Rye Town Hilton bill. How much could a nice raise, no transfers, continue the pension and healthcare as is...really cost.
You got that right. Bravo!
Tough guy, anonymous.
@bzt,
When did going to work for a company, or union, ever mean you were guaranteed a job? I was laid off in '02 and went out and found another job to support myself and my family. I didn't sit around whining on an Internet board waiting for the union to get my job back for me. Was I lucky enough to get my job back? Yes, but it was out of the blue and a complete shock to me.
C-owards
W-ith
A-ttitude
The laidoff workers aren't getting paid my family thanks everyone from the company to the union even my brothers and sisters.
Don't know where you're getting your info but my steward told us they are further apart then they were in January. Company already stated won't budge on anything. You can tell the people who don't attend their meetings.
If we walked the company would do the work with whatever they had available. It's been clear for many years, they want landline customers to go away. They would blame the union and hope most customers would just switch to cell only. It's the business customers that would really suffer.
The union needs more time to prepare for a strike. The past 9 months wasn't enough. They need to get more dues money in order to put it towards the strike fund. Love to see
How much is actually there. Would love to even know how many union members approved the last contract? When I asked I was told they couldn't give out that information because they didn't want the company to know...lol. What a joke? Lost respect for both the company and the union. Both are a disgrace at this point. It's disgusting!
suspended for no reason? Like what? You don't do your job, you ABUSE FMLA because you can? stop guys. be real. Call out the 30% of all union members that screw all of you by banging in sick, but be nasty, by being real scumbags.. lots of good folks yes.. but what the "uppers" see are the lazy bastards who wear dirty sweatpants to work, who bitch about everything under the sun who have zero marketable skills once they lose their jobs.. go after them
Yup still have my pension. I oh wait I was hired in 2013 no I don't.
But there are simply not enough contractors to take care of markets where the company would not even spring for band aids on the copper. The company has real problem. Especially with the election back drop of Sanders and Trump, and Verizon with some very dirty hands. If this is a long strike like 87, then the company executives are toast. Between the politics and outages and investigations by government and press about how this came to be? Lowmac got some problems.
iox. I was deployed last time working with area mgrs. We were told on Saturday morning that we would be splitting up to work with contractors coming in on Tuesday. Later that day the announcement came that the union would return to work. Believe what you will but it was widely known that Vz was looking to contractors to pick up and do a better job than the mgrs, were doing. You are absolutely on point with your comments on the desire to keep wireline or lack there of.
Verizon has been outsouring lots of service jobs to foreign countries and importing foreign workers. They have abandoned their copper plant and promises of fiber for a grand dream to become the next advertising powerhouse to the youngsters. This of course after their other failing dreams in enterprise companies. There is a certain arrogance that the public has no tolerance of, and Verizon has broken that barrier.
@brm...."The first class was 3 days from joining the efforts, when the union called a return to work."??? Please refrain from making B.S up. it's not helping when people post what they feel, instead of actual facts. Lets try and keep this in the realm of somewhat reality at best. And that didn't happen. One thing I do agree with is Lowell doesn't care what happens to the wireline side. So that is exactly what the Union has to be careful about in respect to it's members. This guy will let the business burn to the ground simply because he wants nothing to do with the wireline side of Verizon. Very short sighted, but he's already proven to be a moron.
snu,
Fired? I'd much rather be fired then voluntarily walk away from a job most would love to have with nothing. If we walk, we are not coming back. We ARE replaceable. NOC and Call center work can be done from anywhere in the world, there are vendors in our CO's now that can easily fill that role, and the company would love to pay contractors x per job for installation and maintenance. The lack of quality in those contractors doesn't seem to hurt Comcast, why would it hurt Verizon?
I'm not saying to be happy about what is going on, it's not fun, but earn what you can for now and ride the sinking ship down or take what you have learned at Verizon and move on. Either way, the future is not at Verizon.
Jbl: lol... Different this time around... The general public could care less that you are having to contribute to your healthcare or that your pension is impacted. Half the public would give up a ton to have the benefits you complain about. You have to see that the public is not really on your side, they envy what you curse. Unions don't have the support they once did and the only people that think they do is the union members. If your higher ups wanted to show this 'maggot' corporation what is what, they would have struck already. They fear the strike because Vz will hold out and bring in contractors to do your jobs while you picket. The union came back after 15 days because Vz was gearing up contractor training. The first class was 3 days from joining the efforts, when the union called a return to work. The unions have no war chest to pay the strike pay, and the union members don't want to lose healthcare so even if you strike it will not last much longer than 2 weeks, at most to the end of the month when you lose the benefits... If you think Lowell cares if you run the wireline into the ground with a strike, keep dreaming. He probably would love you to take it down so he can spin it off and be just wireless.
That's a lousy plan. Do nothing? Well people around me are getting suspended left and right for things that are really stupid. This company is picking people off one by one and we are just sitting back and grateful for what we got??? Really?? The company lays off techs last year and then forces everyone mandatory overtime a week after they do this and the union did nothing?? In fact, no one even hears about this. It happened in Pittsburgh and everyone is pissed!!! But ride this contract out as long as you can because apparently it's working out for all of us so well??? At this rate we will all be fired before we get a contract!!
I agree with this fight should be taking to social media outlets everywhere. Every inch of social media should be bombarded with all of Verizon's dirty laundry. Embarrass the hell out of them, and expose them for all there dirty deeds done to there own customers. Why isn't the Union just killing them in social media, make it relentless. Make them cry uncle. There is plenty to embarrass, and expose them with. make it a daily blog of how Verizon is screwing the customer and Government. Verizon hates bad press more than any contract they have with a Union. And they hate anyone knowing what's behind the curtain. Hey start right now.....What would Verizon just hate the public knowing? and now why isn't it posted everywhere on social media with the signature from CWA and IBEW
And the longer that the union people wait, the more money that they can save for a strike, and the more stale all of the training that the managers went through. The company can't keep up that kind of training. Time is on the union's side, not the company's. Populism is winning the day and screwing American workers is getting old to voters and an aging population. It is different this time round.
The company is not budging. If they are at this rate we will have a contract in the next decade. This is just like last time. The union said we would not go this long without a contract. Well I guess they were wrong about that as well.
Telling you now the retired members are going to loose their sh-- when they find out the changes to health care payments. This will the last time we ever get to anything worth wild. Major changes are coming and it's time to move on. This company is only out to make a profit for shareholders and to cut cut cut anywhere they can. They could careless about the retires that made this company as profitable as it is. They are looking at what are you doing for me now? And can you do it cheaper so we can show Wall Street that we are innovative while being profitable.
The writing is on the wall. Empty threat made because we didn't have any leverage at all. We are too busy making calls for Bernie instead of looking out for us. All this time wasted for someone who is not going to win. All while Hilary is laughing with Lowell as they look out for tax breaks. We need to go all out and cause a rukas. Make them wish they signed a contract and hit the company where it hurts. It's all about media coverage on social and web based companies. Once people and business loose their internet then you will see everyone thrown under the bus. The moment these Fortune 500 companies experience a blackout heads will roll. Then and only then the company will give in on a contract because we will have then by the balls. There is now at in hell anyone can learn to do some of these jobs while also doing what they have been hired to do. All of these EWA folks are just doing it but not caring what happens. Nobody will hold then accountable because they are just covering. Try working under pressure while picket sessions are being held. They working with stuff that can kill you and you have to remember the training you had 8 months ago. Not going to be pretty.
@yrs Yes they are.....are you not paying attention? Or, are you too busy bashing, and being mad at your Union to see the facts? The flavor of the month is to bash the Union for not serving up a contract that gives you carte blanche at Verizon. Remember this is a top 15 Fortune 500 company. They didn't get there by giving you the keys to the Taj Mahal. They will fight for every inch as should your Union. This takes time. Relax, your getting paid tomorrow.
I agree! We are all getting paid...still have our pension.....benefits....etc.... No rush... No need to strike right now.....
@ful I have some bad news for you. Your new contract will never have any work rule changes in them that will benefit you. The company does not go backwards on that. So what's done is done, and all you can do now is not lose anymore. Your union was sound asleep when they let these work rules change and now you have to live with them. A new contract is only going to have Wages, Benefits and retirement changes.
My words exactly. We are working hard and dining on dime. This is not easy. These back room deals don't make themselves. We have to eat too not just you guys. Just get back to work and let us do the hard work. I know what's best for you and just leave it at that.
Yeah, it looks like Verizon is budging...lol
Are you not listening, management is treating us like s#!+ because they know we can't fight back. We need a contract.