Everyone is so egotistical at VZ about how great they are, how their position is so special, and no one else can do it. Everyone is so petty with each other and just down right combative. It's the worst work environment I have ever been exposed to. I was a college graduate in 2001 with a B.A. degree, it was a bullsh*t liberal arts and I soon realized the bubble was over and that degree was not going to get me far. So I knew about the opportunity to make great money at VZ and have great benefits. So I used a connection, took the tests, and got hired into a union technician position. Does this make me dumb? No. It makes me opportunistic and smart for spotting an opportunity to make more money than a "white collar" position, which I had before VZ. I have to say, the job is so much more than plugging a router in, like the non-union people on here reduce us to just to antagonize. That's fine, you tell yourselves whatever you need to. I left VZ last year after a decade of having my life dictated and consumed by an evil corporation who treated me like garbage for 11 years straight. In the end, good money and benefits can only make someone so happy. It by no means defined me as a person, which I feel it does for a lot of you on here. That's cool, but in the end there is way more to life than money and benefits. I spent 11 years being forced on most of my days off, holidays, 6-7 day work weeks, 12+ hour days, etc. My personal life suffered and ceased to exist. It became a trap. Anyways, I support the union, but in all I support everyone there on both sides to fight for a better working environment. They really shackle you in golden handcuffs there and use that to justify treating you like you don't matter. Good luck to all who have to try and survive there another 20 years. Glad I'm the F out finally.