As an outside observer merely here for a curiosity/educational experience I would just like to say to all VZ union members: Sorry but you are f---ed. I have no skin in this game and no matter how it turns out it will not affect me in the least.
I guarantee Verizon was plotting and planning for this contract before the ink was dry on the last one. The leadership is not stupid; they run a business that racks up a 1+ billion profit a month. They have you where they want you, between a rock a nd a hard place.
If you strike they have a contingency plan in place. While the managers will not be able to the job as well as somebody with experience they will get enough done. Contractors will be brought on to fill the holes (btw as I have seen some members post, they are not sitting in hotels somewhere waiting for the call wasting money. They will be activated when the need arises.) If you don’t strike you are not costing the company any more money then you currently do and since you are not under a contract you have even given up some right (i.e. grievances). They are still making a ton of money each month.
The fact of the matter is this is purely an economic decision. With all of your bargained rights you are very expensive. You can be replaced by contractors and outsourcing at a cheaper rate. Hence is makes sense for the company go that route. The amount of current profit is irrelevant, only maximizing profit is what matters.
Your union leadership knows this, they know you are not going to get a contract near the one you have now. They make you wear red, black, walk on informational pickets and quite frankly it means nothing. You have been working without a contract for quite a while and the profits have not gone down. Union leadership will say look at all we did to try to make it look like they are doing something. Doesn’t matter, the company has not budged. You will get a shit contract. The union leadership will say we did all we could do. Too little too late. You should have been going to the PSCs years ago. By the time the government gets off its ass and forces the company to do something this contract will be settled and signed. It will take years for the PSC to force the company to do something. The company planned and plotted, they anticipated every move the union would do and they were ready for it. The union leadership sat on their ass.
VZ is a business and sad to say the union is now too. However the union is screwing you worse than the company. At least the company is paying you at this point. The union is just taking your money. You are their customers; you pay them every month for service. They don’t want to spend a penny of your hard earned money they are taking. VZ puts ads in the paper saying how great they are, haven’t seen a union one yet. They use “free” labor to get their word out, you! Guess what, it is not working. Look at Verizon’s profits. The union part of the business is icing on the cake when it comes to profits, the wireless side far outweighs the landline side. The landline side could go in the red and the company would use that to its advantage over the union folks.
But we run the fiber for the cell towers is a big union argument. Guess what? They get can contractors to do it cheaper. It is not what have you done for me lately; it is what can you do for me now.
Sorry folks but you are f---ed.