Even though management is stonewalling their efforts to gain recognition, Verizon Business techs continue to unite for better pay and benefits. In a show of optimism about eventually winning the right to collective bargaining, techs filled out contract surveys.
According to the survey, their top priorities are:
1. More affordable health insurance
2. Higher wages and regular wage increases
3. A real pension for retirement
4. Job security and no layoff language
The VZB techs included comments on their surveys.
One wrote, “Keys to advancement are a big secret only revealed on a need to know basis. After years as a legacy MCI employee, I am still not privileged to the info. While I like my job, I am disappointed that a successful company with very wealthy CEOs hasn’t done a better job of sharing that success with the employees that made it possible. I am in support of the union. I will not flip-flop. The company’s recent efforts to improve things are too little too late.”
Another tech said, “Upper management needs to recognize the importance of its technical work force and their work environment. It’s time to clean, remodel and upgrade! This is supposed to be America—a highly developed industrial and technological society—not a third world country run by dictators!”
The pressure on Verizon management growing. At press time, 54 elected officials have publicly demonstrated their support of VZB workers, many by writing to Ivan Seidenberg.
To view a presentation on VZ Business Please Click Here
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Another Governor Tells VZ to do the Right Thing
When state governments shop for companies to do business with,
they have the responsibility to choose those that respect
workers' rights and "treat their workers fairly and with
dignity" Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski told Verizon CEO Ivan
Seidenberg in a letter urging him to respect his employees'
right to organize.
"I am supportive of companies that adopt a worker-friendly
posture as they tend to enjoy a relationship that benefits both
management and employees," Kulongoski wrote. "Employees, if they
choose should have a contract that includes greater potential
for job growth, a fair grievance procedure, enhanced job
security and scheduled wage progression and annual increases."
"I have long believed that the right to form and join a union is
something that we must protect for everyone," he wrote. "As your
employees look to the future, I encourage you to work with them
and respect your workers' right to organize. I believe such a
stance is in the best interest of all of Oregon's working men
and women."
Yet ANOTHER letter from a Governor of a State to Verizon warning the company to respect VZB techs' rights to form a union!