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.

Telecom workers march for good jobs and reliable services at Verizon

Make Verizon work for everyone…

Boston, August 2 -- More than a thousand telephone workers from throughout Massachusetts marched on Verizon’s New England headquarters to rally for good jobs and reliable services.

“Next year’s collective bargaining offers telephone workers our best chance to refocus management on making Verizon work for everyone: customers, employees and investors alike,” said Myles Calvey, a 39-year splice service technician and Business Manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2222.

“Winning an agreement that preserves good jobs, quality health care and secure pension benefits will take unprecedented membership involvement and unity,” added Calvey, who also chairs the New England telephone workers’ bargaining committee. “All members need to get ready now.” The current agreement covering about 70,000 employees with Verizon East expires on August 2, 2008.
Calvey was joined at the rally by many Verizon workers from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont who are opposing the proposed sale of Verizon’s landlines to FairPoint Communications, a highly leveraged company based in North Carolina.

“FairPoint doesn’t have the same capacity as Verizon to expand high speed internet service throughout the northern states,” said Darlene Stone, a 28-year Administrative Assistant at Verizon’s Consumer Sales and Service Center in Burlington, VT. “I believe the proposed sale would only make the growing digital divide between rural and urban areas much worse.” Stone is a member of Communications Workers of America Local 1400 who lives in Colchester, VT.
Regulators in the three northern states are expected to rule on allowing the sale later this year.

Pete McLaughlin, the Business Manager from IBEW Local 2327 based in Augusta, ME announced that both unions would be expanding the “Stop the Sale” effort by launching a nationwide campaign focused on getting the Federal Communications Commission to also rule against the sale. Rally participants took post cards opposing the sale addressed to the FCC back to their workplaces and communities, while the national offices of IBEW, CWA and Jobs with Justice sent over 175,000 members and supporters an email with a link to sign a public petition to the FCC opposing the sale.

Verizon recently announced that it was selling its New England headquarters at 185 Franklin Street in Boston where the phone company has been based since 1947.

Attending the rally was John Elia, a Sonet Technician from Melrose, MA who works for Verizon Business, a new subsidiary created after the company bought the remnants of MCI/WorldCom. “All we want is the same job protections and rights that so-called “core” Verizon employees have. That’s why a majority of us have been trying to form a union for more than eight months. But now Verizon is refusing to grant us the same organizing rights past employees have used to join IBEW or CWA without management interference. It’s time to tear down the walls that divide and weaken our company.”

Labor leaders from the AFL-CIO and Jobs with Justice announced that over 50 elected officials (including 21 from Massachusetts) are supporting the campaign to allow all Verizon employees to make a free and fair choice about forming a union.

“Thank God over 97,000 of us are united in a union that can stand up to this greedy $88 billion telecommunications giant,” said Chris Shelton, Vice President of CWA District One, which includes 180,000 members throughout the Northeast. “Once again Verizon needs to be reminded that its huge profits are only made because of our dedication to providing high quality and reliable service.”

“All of us want to win a good contract, stop the sale, and tear down the wall at Verizon Business. But these goals can’t be accomplished without strong support from the communities where we live and work,” added Shelton. “Fortunately, each of you earns that community support everyday through your involvement in community, church and civic organizations. That is our trump card – and we are going to call on each of you to play it in 2008!”

“The best way to avert a strike is to be prepared for one if it proves necessary,” said Calvey. “Now is the time to save your money and avoid taking out any large loans.” At the rally, union members were met by representatives from the Telephone Workers Credit Union who helped members set up hundreds of special “rainy day” savings accounts.

Other union rallies were held today in Upland, CA; Fredericksburg, Petersburg and Richmond, VA; Baltimore, MD and Charleston, Morgantown and Poca, WV. Members also gathered at many company garages and workplaces throughout Verizon’s footprint.

About 10,000 Verizon workers in Massachusetts and 13,000 throughout New England are united in the IBEW and CWA.

# # #

Telephoned workers gearing up for contract fight

Thousands of CWA and IBEW members who work for Verizon rallied in New York City on June 28 to slam management for its repeated interference in its employees’ freedom to form unions and the company’s decision to abandon rural communities.

The rally was part of an on-going union-wide mobilization to involve members and build public support for a good contract at the $88 billion telecommunications giant.

“Verizon advertises that its ‘Network’ provides reliable service. Well, we – the members of CWA and IBEW are the network,” said CWA District One Vice President Chris Shelton. “We are the reason that Verizon made $6 billion in profits last year. We are the reason it is the thirteenth largest corporation in America. It couldn’t do it without us. We are Verizon.”

Can you hear us now?
To underscore the point CWA District One held a Verizon “geek” look-a-like contest. Pictured is the winner, Kenny Kenavan, a special services tech out of Brooklyn, NY, and member of CWA Local 1109.
Also featured at the New York rally, was Verizon Business (VZB) technician John Sweeney. VZB – a division of Verizon formed after the company’s merger with the remnants of MCI/Worldcom – has refused to recognize the technicians’ organizing rights.

Sweeney spoke about the need for VZB techs to keep up the fight and challenged the company to respect the wishes of the majority of his co-workers who have already signed cards to join the union.

“I want to send a message to any Verizon Business techs who may be on the fence,” said Sweeney. “Ask yourself a simple question: How do you expect to support your family, raise your kids and retire comfortably when the cost of living is rising faster than your paycheck? Get down off the fence, sign a union card and take control of your future!”

IBEW and CWA members will rally on August 2 in several cities to mark the one-year countdown before the Verizon-East contract expires in 2008. Picture from the rally are up on the web at: http://picasaweb.google.com/randwilson.aflcio/RallyAtVerizonSNewYorkHeadquarters