Thread regarding Verizon Communications Inc. layoffs

I'll just stay out and draw a welfare check handout until that runs out and then I'm sure a better opportunity will come along for me and all 36,000 of my brothers where none of us have to drive far, travel much or relocate.

Union made a misstep by walking out. They timed it with the NY Democratic primary and debates thinking they would leverage the company but it didn't work and now they're screwed, but can't admit that to their membership who are losing serious money each day the strike continues.

There is no lockout. Lowell said last week.

All you company kool-aid drinkers will be gone soon.Their is no loyalty in this company from union to management .they riff the knowledgeable poeple and keep their cronies from upper levels . Verizon wireless is saturated growth very slow.all the failled aquisitions of intrrnet of things ...HUM a B.S product..go90 another failed venture .etc .etc .etc .now you want to buy a failling money losing YAHOO..120 BILLION $ IN DEBT AND GROWING...all you guys on EWA assignment enjoy your extra money cause this companies has great thing instore for you..HB1's and growing ...lmao all you guys in basking will be moving to irving texas..but not me ..oh I mean replaced by low paid Texans. .and all redunant jobs eliminated..watch within the next couple of years..writing is on the wall..I see it and will be retiring after my Ewa assignment thank god I have the time ...also p.s dump your vz stock ..next week. Vz is on its way down to the 40's watch and see .all the in situations will be d I mping soon ....

Which side has the best lawyers?

Which side plans for every possible contingency before taking a single step?

Which side has almost unlimited financial resources and people in power on its side?

On the plus side, I see the Rhode Island Sierra Club has joined with the unions now. So, they have that going for them, which is nice.

Shelton, even at his advanced age and diminished ability, has a better chance of hitting the jackpot with his dick in his hand than he'll hit by filing ULP. The Union position on the call centers is a loser. Period. Get real. Call centers are done. Kaput. This is 2016 and your bonehead Union thinks it can win public support with a f'ing inflatable rat. ROFLMAO Good Lord you people are stupid.

pbu - company declaring an impasse would be countered by union filing ulp claim with nlrb. nlrb would then investigate and make determination of both claims. company had ample opportunity to make claim of impasse, so the question becomes 'why did they not take that approach?'. one can only assume that they (company) is aware of other legal consequences of declaring 'impasse'.

@cmd - supposedly that dead line of May 20th is legit, the company plans on replacing us with contractors, and if they do that, I would think that is considered a lock out. If that's the case, I welcome unemployment until a better opportunity comes along, which it will.

Company has said there are 2 choices to return to work; either accept the LBFO or agree to mediation. Union has done nothing.

PBU- I don't see where a lockout is mentioned, the Union beat the company to the punch by walking out before the LBFO was presented and declaring and impasse. We are on strike, LBFO means sh--. The company can lock us out at any point it would like. I'd love to see this company lock is out, can't wait.

Because you asked so nicely: http://www.lawmemo.com/articles/hardball.htm

"Generally, once an employer believes that the parties are at an impasse, it will present its last, best and final offer to the union. An employer should elicit from the union whether or not it will recommend the final offer to the rank-and-file for ratification. A refusal by the union to recommend the final offer is further evidence of an impasse. Then, if the final offer is voted and rejected by the rank-and-file, there is additional evidence of an impasse. Once it is clear that an impasse has been reached, an employer can exercise its legal right to declare an impasse and implement its pre-impasse offer."

and

"If a strike is authorized, employees who decide to cross the picket line will work under the implemented terms. An employer can also exercise its legal right to continue to operate with replacement workers."

I am not a lawyer, but that seems pretty clear to me.

@chy. Huh?

I don't hate the union now because of the company. Prior to the strike I liked unions. I hate unions now because your idea of a protest is to act like a bunch of apes.

They should have taken us out last August. We had more leverage then. All we did was give them another 10 months to get ready. Stupid.

Did you guys have read Union's proposal? I mean the one after the company's LBFO. I guess nobody except union leaders. Company said the proposal is unconstructive and reject it. Why don't your union leaders let you guys read it? Because it is too ridiculous to show. Now, you tell me who does not bargain in good faith.

You can not make a offer and call it last and final ,then CEO publicly in front of Share Holders ask the union to go to mediation. STOP the bullshit here. They are using all you crazy non union employees to make it seem that they are plying hard ball when they are willing for Federal Mediation to decide. Union did very well last time using Federal Mediation so Company wants non union to believe they did all they could but had to agree with mediator. Just remember when all is done more rifs in wireless will be done, more jobs sent to India and company will state they had to do this because of financial issues of the strike. Company will move many jobs to India and Texas and try their best to make the non union hate the union even more. All the chaos that will happen to wireless will be blamed on strike so more divide will happen. When settlement is made more jobs willbe moved out of the northeast. At least jobs that dont require your physical body like anyone behind a computer.

I want to vote on the last, best and final offer. We need our inept CWA "leader" Shelton to put it out to a vote. They can withhold their recommendation or send it out with a negative call. But they don't have the balls to put it out for a vote because they are damn scared it will pass. Screw the call centers. Put the LBFO out to a vote.

"That's not what "bargaining in good faith" entails. At all."

Explain to me how would you prove in court that someone has not bargained in good faith? I agree with the @fih. All Verizon has to do is show up at the table, look at your counter proposal, pretend to crunch numbers while typing boob into the calculator, and then tell you to go pound dirt and they fulfilled that requirement.

The union is not bargaining at all.

VZ, is set up well.

The unions, best bet is to accept this contract, and continue in very good jobs.

"Simply declaring that this is their “final offer” does not in any way absolve management from their legal obligation and duty to bargain."

^^^^^ This. Times a million.

"A "Last, Best and Final" is a special legal term for what a company must do before it can declare a lockout -- i.e., fire the union workers and replace them."

BS plain and simple. Please find me a quote from a verifiable legal source that states anything along those lines.

"You are 100% right that VZ has a legal duty to bargain in good faith no matter what -- but all that means if that they have to sit @ the table and listen and nod, then repeat that the unions has their LB&F offer. Seems to me that is exactly what they've been doing."

That's not what "bargaining in good faith" entails. At all.

"Is anyone else hearing this?"

Only from company shills on this site. Anyone remotely familiar with labor laws knows that such a letter would be a major violation of bargaining rules and that the company would be smacked over it by NLRB.

We are screwed. Per the NLRB.

"If the object of a strike is to obtain from the employer some economic concession such as higher wages, shorter hours, or better working conditions, the striking employees are called economic strikers. They retain their status as employees and cannot be discharged, but they can be replaced by their employer. If the employer has hired bona fide permanent replacements who are filling the jobs of the economic strikers when the strikers apply unconditionally to go back to work, the strikers are not entitled to reinstatement at that time. However, if the strikers do not obtain regular and substantially equivalent employment, they are entitled to be recalled to jobs for which they are qualified when openings in such jobs occur if they, or their bargaining representative, have made an unconditional request for their reinstatement."

Same company talking points that have lost all their credibility. Same contract, how complicated is that?

The fact that anyone can possibly still believe the union has the company by the balls at this point is such a frustrating concept to me. To arrive at that conclusion you literally have to ignore everything thats being presented to you: The enormous effort to bring contractors in to replace you, the complete lack of media coverage, the stock price, the total portion of profit you own as a group. Mudge booked the EWA s calendar for a 7 am announcement tomorrow. My guess is another update on his plan to replace the union. The plan that he has harped about multiple times in the past two weeks. They aren't going to lock you out. They are just going to permanantely replace you with temp contractors. They are going to mail you a letter this week explaining how you can return to vz as non union. Enough will cross over the next couple months, once the union sadly realizes that the offer was final and in stone, to pad the temp contractors with some experienced, now non union employees. See the writing on the wall and act before it is too late.

chh they are not bargaining.

A "Last, Best and Final" is a special legal term for what a company must do before it can declare a lockout -- i.e., fire the union workers and replace them. If the company declares a lockout, the terms of the LB&F offer then become the work terms applicable to replacements or former union folks who choose to cross the line. That is why the company keeps using that phrase.

Speaking of.. our garage is hearing rumors that the company sent another round of love letters to each of the union members -- this time giving them 10 days to cross or else. Is anyone else hearing this?

You are 100% right that VZ has a legal duty to bargain in good faith no matter what -- but all that means if that they have to sit @ the table and listen and nod, then repeat that the unions has their LB&F offer. Seems to me that is exactly what they've been doing.

Shills!! Do you really believe every thing rich f---ing young tells you??

The company tape differs w your post. It stated that the last time the Union came to the table the company reiterated that they had already made their LBFO. That's not bargaining, and as an earlier post stated they still have an obligation to bargain. The tape has changed slightly, it no longer mentions the LBFO, but last Thursday it certainly did.

You are missing the point OND. The union is not bargaining. What are you missing? That is why you have last best.

I am so glad to hear the Union is refusing to talk.....Tells me they got them by the Balls, and the Union knows it. Hang in there everyone, they were wrong from the start....and there desperate right now.

@Hpbvs0g-zrt agree Im not happy with what the union is doing at all.I feel their is a bigger goal here then just Verizon and the Verizon union is being used in this goal.

Simply declaring that this is their “final offer” does not in any way absolve management from their legal obligation and duty to bargain.

100% true. Glad someone has finally said this. The union has been the one stalling the talks that is why the company put out the last best final offer. The union has been playing games the last 10 months. People's lives are at stake and they are playing games. It is very upsetting. what is the end game