On April 13, almost 40,000 Verizon employees went on strike on the East Coast. The walkout could cause months-long delays in completing repair, reconnection and installation orders for the company’s estimated 140 million mobile, Internet and cable subscribers, including those in California.
Workers from the Brotherhood of Electrical Engineers and the Communications Workers of America began striking at 6 a.m. There were reportedly around 700 employees picketing on West 36th Avenue in New York City, and other demonstrations were planned across the East Coast. The unions accuse Verizon of gutting job security protections, outsourcing jobs overseas and requiring workers to spend months away from their families even though the company has brought in nearly $40 billion in profits over the past three years. They say the company also declined to negotiate better wages and benefits with the new union representing Verizon’s retail workers, which was formed in 2014. The unions also allege that the communication giant’s top five executives raked in around $233 million over the last five years.
Verizon, which is based in New Jersey, issued a statement saying that the company has hired thousands of replacement workers and will continue to serve its customers during the strike. The company also said the striking workers already have generous contracts, but it is willing to turn to federal mediators to come to an agreement with the unions.
Employee contract disputes can be complex and protracted. California employers facing contract issues may benefit by seeking the advice of an attorney. Legal counsel could carefully review the details of a case and provide guidance on the best way to proceed.
Source: Patch, “Verizon Strike: Internet and Cable Outages Could Take Weeks To Repair,” Marc Torrence, April 12, 2016
