Verizon(land line) CWA and IBEW walkout...

[CADsortaGUY]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/08/07/verizon.strike/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

About 45,000 unionized workers at telecommunications giant Verizon walked off the job Sunday after contract talks stalled over the weekend, the company and union leaders said.

Thonis said customers should expect "no major impact" from the walkout. Repair calls may take longer, but "nothing detrimental," he said.

Seems to me Verizon has almost 45K too many employees if they really think there isn't going to be a big impact.

But really, how can these people strike? They are in a dying market yet they still expect the gold plated packages of the big bell glory days? sad how people think they are so entitled...

 

[Jhhnn]

Can't even be troubled to read the links you get in those chain emails, huh?

CWA spokesman Bob Master told CNN that some conversations were still going on, but he called the bargaining "the worst we've ever seen in 50 years." He said the company is demanding rollbacks of wages, benefits and union rules while posting profits of up to $6 billion.

Apparently, your answer to the workforce being in the dirt is to kick 'em while they're down...

 

[spidey07]

The part I like? Managers and others are doing their work and trained/prepared for the stoppage.

But also it's not a dieing market, fiber still needs to be laid and repaired and takes specialized skills (and also pays pretty damn well because of those skills).

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Can't even be troubled to read the links you get in those chain emails, huh?



Apparently, your answer to the workforce being in the dirt is to kick 'em while they're down...

yeah, ofcourse you'd just take the union's statement as truth. oh, and it wasn't a chain email you twit - I was browsing cnn.

Pssttt...

Verizon said it needs workers to pick up a share of health benefits, which it says cost it $4 billion per year for 800,000 employees, retirees and their families. It said its benefits would remain "near the top of those offered by comparable companies" even with the concessions demanded

 

[spidey07]

Can't even be troubled to read the links you get in those chain emails, huh?



Apparently, your answer to the workforce being in the dirt is to kick 'em while they're down...

And those profits are coming from the profitable divisions, which the union thugs are not a part of.

But it's not fair! They made a profit, how evil! Waaaaa!

 

[CADsortaGUY]

The part I like? Managers and others are doing their work and trained/prepared for the stoppage.

But also it's not a dieing market, fiber still needs to be laid and repaired and takes specialized skills (and also pays pretty damn well because of those skills).

for sure, it's not like it's going to go away but FOIS isn't going to keep it the same size as it was years ago and it won't prevent it from contracting significantly in future years. land lines are disappearing rapidly - fios won't fill that whole gap.

 

[spidey07]

for sure, it's not like it's going to go away but FOIS isn't going to keep it the same size as it was years ago and it won't prevent it from contracting significantly in future years. land lines are disappearing rapidly - fios won't fill that whole gap.

I'm talking long haul/metro-E fiber stuff, not residential.

 

[Jhhnn]

And those profits are coming from the profitable divisions, which the union thugs are not a part of.

But it's not fair! They made a profit, how evil! Waaaaa!

Mere assertion, Spidey, but you already knew that.

If they're making a handsome profit, they don't really need to stomp on the workforce, do they? Or is the bad economy just viewed as a golden opportunity to do so?

 

[shortylickens]

They make a profit by charging too fucking much for mediocre service.
Was planning on dumping them anyway. I wonder if they will assume I am supporting the strike?

 

[mpo]

The part I like? Managers and others are doing their work and trained/prepared for the stoppage.

But also it's not a dieing market, fiber still needs to be laid and repaired and takes specialized skills (and also pays pretty damn well because of those skills).

Actually, the situation is a little more complicated than that. POTS is on shaky ground financially over the long term, even as more telephone numbers are being assigned to 'regular' telephone service.

How can this be? A number of factors--competition from cellular, VOIP, and other 'new' technologies. On top of that, a fair portion of the new numbers being assigned to POTS are single-purpose devices such as card readers, meters, and other things that call to a local exchange.

POTS is losing a lot of it market share for more lucrative long distance service, which paid for a good portion of the maintenance and hardware upgrades.

On top of that, there are a number of critical links in our lives that rely on regular old copper. They are not moving to fiber any time soon.

 

[EagleKeeper]

So when the going gets good, give them anything they want. When the going gets bad - tell them tough luck; the pain does not have to be shared.

The CWA needs to look at the UAW and see what can happen in 10-20 years.

Each division should stand on its own; be responsible for the profit/loss

 

[lothar]

They make a profit by charging too fucking much for mediocre service.
Was planning on dumping them anyway. I wonder if they will assume I am supporting the strike?

Their FiOS division is not anywhere near being mediocre service.
If so, I wonder what you think about Comcast, Time-Warner, etc...

Their wireless division?
If you think that's mediocre service and they're charging too much for it, what do you think about AT&T?

 

[Schadenfroh]

Looks like someone is using this as an opportunity to sabotage our nation's telecommunication infrastructure:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/r/28809030/detail.html

Police are investigating apparent acts of sabotage, including fiber optics lines being cut, just after thousands of unionized Verizon workers walked off the job after voting to go on strike.
...
Meanwhile, cable, phone and Internet lines were cut Monday, affecting service to dozens of neighborhoods in several states, including Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
...
In Massachusetts, which has 6,000 striking Verizon workers, Tewksbury police were investigating six acts of vandalism to Verizon equipment. They said two junction boxes were opened and wires ripped apart.
...
"I have no service. I have no telephone, no television, and I'm a senior," said customer Hugh Fitzpatrick.
...
"It's obvious that it was malicious damage. A lot of the wires were pulled out. A lot of the wires were cut. You know, the boxes were all left in disarray, opened," said Tewksbury Police Chief Timothy Sheehan.
He said the majority of the boxes appeared to have been opened "with some form of a universal key that's germane to those that install and maintain them."

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Looks like the union thugs are doing their usual thing.

Per a new report by the Wall Street Journal, Verizon has accused union workers on strike of vandalism and harassment. They allege that fiber optic cables have been cut, and other Verizon property has been damaged. Likewise, there are reports of Verizon’s nonunion employees from being harassed.

http://nexus404.com/Blog/2011/08/09...ions-reports-of-vandalism-harassment-alleged/

 

[spidey07]

Stay classy union thugs. I believe there are federal crimes against such telecommunication damage.

 

[Jhhnn]

Looks like someone is using this as an opportunity to sabotage our nation's telecommunication infrastructure:
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/r/28809030/detail.html

Meh. Don't worry- the manager will be right out in lieu of somebody who knows how to fix it... He'll go back to the orifice, form a committee to evaluate the situation, make recommendations... write a report, send it out to the customers...

Determining the source of the vandalism is pure speculation, of course...

 

[spidey07]

Meh. Don't worry- the manager will be right out in lieu of somebody who knows how to fix it... He'll go back to the orifice, form a committee to evaluate the situation, make recommendations... write a report, send it out to the customers...

Determining the source of the vandalism is pure speculation, of course...

Umm, those j-boxes are locked with a key only repairmen have. And don't forget many of those managers once did the repairs so it's not like they totally lost the skill. Hell, I could probably do any of the repairs if necessary.

 

[Jhhnn]

Umm, those j-boxes are locked with a key only repairmen have. And don't forget many of those managers once did the repairs so it's not like they totally lost the skill. Hell, I could probably do any of the repairs if necessary.

Supposed to have, Spidey, supposed to have...

Locks of that sort are usually designed to prevent casual entry & nothing more...

I can't speak specifically to the locks in question, nor does it matter. Any conclusions at this point are ... speculative, at best.

 

[bfdd]

Their FiOS division is not anywhere near being mediocre service.
If so, I wonder what you think about Comcast, Time-Warner, etc...

Their wireless division?
If you think that's mediocre service and they're charging too much for it, what do you think about AT&T?

Having gone from Verizon FIOS to a Time Warner Business Line to ATT U-Verse in recent years I can say I had the best performance and customer service from just regular old Verizon FIOS residential. The customer service for my business line was excellent as well, but I had more issues with down time and what not with TW.

 

[PokerGuy]

Yeah, I'm sure all the vandalism on boxes that have special keys etc is all just pure coincidence. Typical union behavior. Demand everything, and if you don't get your way, go with violence, intimidation and other tactics like sabotage.

It's too bad Verizon can't just fire them all immediately and say "can you hear me now?". Union idiots. I'm sure there are millions of out of work folks in the country who would happily take those jobs.

 

[chucky2]

Umm, those j-boxes are locked with a key only repairmen have. And don't forget many of those managers once did the repairs so it's not like they totally lost the skill. Hell, I could probably do any of the repairs if necessary.

Those could have been opened and made to look that way as if striking Union employees did it. Doubtful yes, but, it could have gone down like that.

The thing with negotiations/strikes is, you really can't trust any info you're getting, from anyone. It's just a show for the public, and the employees...

Chuck

 

[xj0hnx]

Supposed to have, Spidey, supposed to have...

Locks of that sort are usually designed to prevent casual entry & nothing more...

I can't speak specifically to the locks in question, nor does it matter. Any conclusions at this point are ... speculative, at best.

Verizon unions go on strike, Verizon equipment gets sabotaged causing outages that require the skills of those striking, yea, most likely just random coincidence

 

[highland145]

It was the managers. Test prep for their repair skills.

 

[JS80]

1) Spin off worthless business units with union employees
2) Load it up with debt, transfer cash to parent
3) Let it go bankrupt

Problem solved

 

[highland145]

1) Spin off worthless business units with union employees
2) Load it up with debt, transfer cash to parent
3) Let it go bankrupt

Problem solved

The NLRB won't be happy.