Augusta, ME -- Showing the growing opposition to the proposed sale of Verizon to FairPoint Communications, a delegation delivered more than 5,000 post cards in a wheelbarrow to Governor Baldacci’s office on September 25 asking him to oppose the sale.
The group was composed of representatives from seniors, telephone workers, first responders, parents and health care providers -- all of whom want to make sure that Governor Baldacci gets the message: Stop the Sale!
The post cards ask the Governor to “take a strong stand against allowing Verizon to sell its assets to FairPoint.” Maine Public Advocate Richard Davies received the cards for Governor Baldacci.
In a short briefing in the State House Welcome Center just prior to delivering the post cards, retired pediatrician Tom Whitney from Norway said, “High speed Internet is vital to providing quality health care to all persons in Maine. In other states, it has already saved lives. Experts at a major hospital can use high-speed Internet to review a patient’s symptoms, monitor a patient and even prescribe the right treatment over the Internet. We have a much better chance of achieving that level of service with Verizon than we do with FairPoint.”
“All Mainers – and especially our schools, hospitals and emergency responders -- desperately need to have improved access to the information superhighway,” said Gerry Gay, President of the Professional Firefighters of Maine in a prepared statement. “In our opinion, the proposed FairPoint acquisition of the Verizon Northern New England properties poses unacceptably high risks. We do not want to be left on FairPoint’s “dirt road” to nowhere!”
“In the modern, competitive global economy, students without high-speed internet will simply be left behind,” said Matt Beck, a parent of three school age children from South Portland. “It’s really unfair that anyone in Maine is denied the kind of high speed Internet service that is available for most of the rest of America. This sale to tiny FairPoint may only deepen the digital divide that is already putting people in Maine at a disadvantage.”
“High speed internet can help senior citizens live independently, improve our quality of life and reduce the cost of care,” said Neena Quirion, Director of the Maine Council of Seniors Citizens. “Especially in Maine, long distances often separate friends and family. For Seniors, both physical and financial concerns can make long trips difficult. High speed Internet connections can help connect us to friends, family, medical and social assistance, and the larger world. Seniors need to have improved access to the information superhighway. We do not want to have our future access to high speed Internet left to a company that is already on very shaky ground!”
“If this sale is approved it could send Maine and its economy backwards,” said Ed Gorham, President of the Maine AFL-CIO. “Cutting edge technology is essential to keeping good paying jobs in the state. FairPoint has not demonstrated it has the resources or the technology to keep pace with today’s world.”
“We went door to door to collect many of these post cards,” said Brian McAnally, Field Director of Working America, an AFL-CIO affiliate that organizes working families to fight for good jobs, affordable health care and secure retirements. “The majority of households still hadn’t heard about the proposed sale, but when they did, people understood how risky FairPoint could be and were eager to sign.”
Pictures from the event may be seen at: http://picasaweb.google.com/randwilson.aflcio/DeliveringPostCardsToGovBaldacci
More information about why citizens are mobilizing to stop the Verizon sale to FairPoint is at: www.stopthesalenow.org and www.no-deal.org. For information about ending the digital divide visit: www.speedmatters.org.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Labor Board charges Verizon Business illegally interfered with employees’ freedom to form a union
Management tactics included making illegal threats, intimidation and surveillance of union supporters
In two separate cases, the National Labor Relations Board issued formal complaints against Verizon Business (VZB) for violating federal labor laws by spying on workers, suppressing free speech in the workplace and issuing illegal warnings to union supporters.
The complaints were issued by the Region 2 (NY) and Region 6 (PA) offices of the NLRB on August 30. The complaints were made after an investigation of charges filed by workers in Verizon Business’ Monsey, NY and Pittsburgh, PA facilities earlier this year. The Board’s complaints allege that Verizon management:
· "...selectively and disparately prohibited union solicitations and distributions, while permitting nonunion solicitations and distributions."
· "...engaged in surveillance of employees to discourage their union activities. [And] created an impression amongst its employees that their union activities were under surveillance."
· illegally warned two VZB techs for supporting the union.
· illegally "informed the employees that they were not to discuss the union at work."
· illegally "threatened employees with layoff for supporting the union"
· illegally gave two oral warnings and one written warning to three pro-union VZB techs.
"Verizon technicians want to have the same job protections and rights that so-called "core" Verizon employees have. Instead, management has subjected us to its propaganda machine and interfering with our rights on the job. Top management should recognize our union and begin bargaining for the good jobs and respect we all deserve," said Dave Rogol, a Senior Technician at Verizon Business who works at its Charlton, MA facility.
"It’s about time this company got slapped for intimidating VZB techs from making a free and fair choice," said Chris Shelton, Vice President of CWA District One, which includes more than 26,000 Verizon members throughout the Northeast. "Now Verizon should honor the neutrality and union recognition procedure that so many other Verizon employees have benefited from."
The National Labor Relations Act forbids employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of rights relating to organizing, forming, joining or assisting a labor organization for collective bargaining purposes, or engaging in protected concerted activities to improve wages and working conditions.
NLRB hearings by an Administrative Law Judge on the Pittsburgh complaint are planned for October 31. Separate hearings on the Monsey, NY case are set for November 5 in New York City.
For copies of the NLRB complaints, contact Rand Wilson by email at rwilson aflcio.org . For more info about the technicians organizing campaign, visit www.freechoiceatverizon.com.
In two separate cases, the National Labor Relations Board issued formal complaints against Verizon Business (VZB) for violating federal labor laws by spying on workers, suppressing free speech in the workplace and issuing illegal warnings to union supporters.
The complaints were issued by the Region 2 (NY) and Region 6 (PA) offices of the NLRB on August 30. The complaints were made after an investigation of charges filed by workers in Verizon Business’ Monsey, NY and Pittsburgh, PA facilities earlier this year. The Board’s complaints allege that Verizon management:
· "...selectively and disparately prohibited union solicitations and distributions, while permitting nonunion solicitations and distributions."
· "...engaged in surveillance of employees to discourage their union activities. [And] created an impression amongst its employees that their union activities were under surveillance."
· illegally warned two VZB techs for supporting the union.
· illegally "informed the employees that they were not to discuss the union at work."
· illegally "threatened employees with layoff for supporting the union"
· illegally gave two oral warnings and one written warning to three pro-union VZB techs.
"Verizon technicians want to have the same job protections and rights that so-called "core" Verizon employees have. Instead, management has subjected us to its propaganda machine and interfering with our rights on the job. Top management should recognize our union and begin bargaining for the good jobs and respect we all deserve," said Dave Rogol, a Senior Technician at Verizon Business who works at its Charlton, MA facility.
"It’s about time this company got slapped for intimidating VZB techs from making a free and fair choice," said Chris Shelton, Vice President of CWA District One, which includes more than 26,000 Verizon members throughout the Northeast. "Now Verizon should honor the neutrality and union recognition procedure that so many other Verizon employees have benefited from."
The National Labor Relations Act forbids employers from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of rights relating to organizing, forming, joining or assisting a labor organization for collective bargaining purposes, or engaging in protected concerted activities to improve wages and working conditions.
NLRB hearings by an Administrative Law Judge on the Pittsburgh complaint are planned for October 31. Separate hearings on the Monsey, NY case are set for November 5 in New York City.
For copies of the NLRB complaints, contact Rand Wilson by email at rwilson
Friday, September 7, 2007
New England Congressional Delegation Raises Concerns with FCC Over Verizon’s Proposed Sale of Landlines to FairPoint
Washington, D.C. – The entire U.S. House of Representatives delegation from Northern New England has called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to carefully review the proposed sale of Verizon’s landlines in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and to hold off on making any decision approving the sale until after the states have done so.
Before the sale can be completed it must be approved by regulators in all three states and the FCC.
The letter was signed by Rep. Thomas Allen (D-ME), Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH), Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME), Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT).
In their September 26 letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, the Representatives asked the FCC to “conduct a thorough and extensive review of the proposed transaction to ensure that it is in the best interest of consumers, employees, and state and local economies.”
They also requested that the FCC “defer making a final decision about the transaction until all three state regulatory agencies have ruled on its merits.” A decision in the states will likely come at the end of the year.
Copies of the letter are available from Rand Wilson by email to rwilson@aflcio.org. More information about the campaign to Stop the Sale is on www.stop-the-sale.org and www.no-deal.org.
Before the sale can be completed it must be approved by regulators in all three states and the FCC.
The letter was signed by Rep. Thomas Allen (D-ME), Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH), Rep. Michael Michaud (D-ME), Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT).
In their September 26 letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, the Representatives asked the FCC to “conduct a thorough and extensive review of the proposed transaction to ensure that it is in the best interest of consumers, employees, and state and local economies.”
They also requested that the FCC “defer making a final decision about the transaction until all three state regulatory agencies have ruled on its merits.” A decision in the states will likely come at the end of the year.
Copies of the letter are available from Rand Wilson by email to rwilson@aflcio.org. More information about the campaign to Stop the Sale is on www.stop-the-sale.org and www.no-deal.org.
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