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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Striking Verizon Workers To Lose Medical Benefits

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Tens of thousands of striking workers from Verizon Communications will lose their medical benefits if they're still picketing at the end of the month, the telephone service provider said Wednesday.

"I can confirm that the 45,000 striking Verizon workers did receive a letter confirming a provision in their 2008 contract that stated in the event of a strike, medical benefits would be suspended on Aug. 31," said Verizon spokesman Richard Young.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fantastic! I'm so tempted to yell "Go back to work!" when I pass them on Rt. 50, but I've been biting my tongue.

Anonymous said...

its ok, the state will give it to them

Anonymous said...

3:05 I've yelled more than that! Don't hold back.

Anonymous said...

Whats the union going to do for them then? Your dues don't mean squat! go back to work!

Anonymous said...

wonderful.....
resist unions.

Anonymous said...

I disagree. Don't you realize when large companies like Verizon are able to arbritarily cut benefits, it will trickle down to all other employers. It seems we need to be more informed of the issues at stake.

Anonymous said...

3:41 Verizon is not arbitrarily cutting benefits....it is common for employers to terminate insurance coverage for strikers....they are not working so why should the employer pay for their insurance?

Anonymous said...

3:41
Get a life , I hope they never go back to work , they are greedy.

Anonymous said...

I heard a story about a Verizon manager getting shot by a union member but the main stream media hasn't picked it up.

Anonymous said...

Fire everyone of them and start over with folks who really need jobs. The economic climate we are in right now they should be thankful they have jobs. I have no sympathy for them at all especially when I pay my phone bills it makes me madder to think they are striking and my bill is bound to go even higher!

Anonymous said...

I passed by them earlier this week and they actually have their young children out there also, all dressed in their red shirts!!! One held up her hand and waved to me....I am working a 8-5 job, why should I honk my horn at them in support of what they are doing? I also have to pay my own health insurance so I don't feel sorry for them one bit.

Anonymous said...

It's sad to say - but I do not believe these striking employees will ever go back to work. With the diminished business environment - the management should be able to sustain the operations as normal. This will result in record profits for Verizon and should be a blowout Quarter.

Anonymous said...

You think the company is just going to sit there and not do anything?

Anonymous said...

Can't wait for the snow to start flying at they're sitting there like dumba$$es on the picket line.
What a bunch or crybaby communists!

Anonymous said...

These Union workers are dumb. Most of them have had years to look for a government job like most of us have. They choose not to. I'm sure they can find something with Trimpers in OC though if they try hard enough.

Anonymous said...

You uneducated people ought to be ashamed of yourselves. As the wife of a striking verizon worker and,mother of three, working full time to support my family you people mak eme sick. Verizon is taking advantage of and always has of its employees. This multi-billion dollar company is trying to strip away everything that the hard working verizon employees have bargained for over the last 50 years. The union is currently fighting to bring back to this area over 20,000 jobs being shipped overseas by "greedy" Verizon who would rather support international employment then here at home. I guess if you were going to benefit from the jobs being brought back here you would shut your mouth!!! Ask the ceo's of verizon who make $55,000 per day--who is greedy???? If you don't know the facts--stay out of something that doesn't concern you. I guess you support an attack on the middle class. But then again you probably wouldn't know anything about that!!! These employees are fighting to KEEP WHAT THEY HAVE NOTHING MORE--NOTHING LESS----GO CWA

Anonymous said...

7:00
Wah Wah Wah! You've been screwing Verizon for years collecting way over market value for your skills. (Or lack thereof)
Now you jobs are becoming obsolete and you want to keep the status quo.
Shame on you! You stupid union terds just plain don't get it!
You stupid people volentarily walked away from your jobs because you don't want to face the realities in this world.
GOOD RIDDANCE!

Anonymous said...

I take it none of you have EVER worked for a company that has promised and given you things like, medical benefits then SNATCHED it away, all because THEY are redoing theyre restructuring internally? No, not you. Couldnt happen to you, right? Well guess what, it just happened to your friends, neighbors ext. Your just too stupid and selfish to look in your own back yard. When your cell phone and house phone doesnt work for one reason or another, please feel free to call India!!!

Anonymous said...

7;00, you seem to be spouting the union line, just repeating what the union tells you. Time and time again, the union has caused the loss of jobs when the company folded. Look at Dresser or Crown, Cork and Seal. The unions get the workers to strike, and the predictable happens: The company finally tires of the whole thing and closes up shop. The workers apparently don't realize what is going to happen until it's too late. Instead of getting more benefits or whatever they're striking for, they end up with no job at all. The benefits that the unions "won" for the employees end up being meaningless as the company quickly discovers that it can ship jobs overseas where the wages and benefits are so much lower. You call the others who have written against the Verizon strikers as "uneducated." It appears that the strikers are the ones who are uneducated. They believe what lies the union feeds them. So keep on striking, and the inevitable will happen: You will end up with no job at all.

Anonymous said...

You uneducated people ought to be ashamed of yourselves. As the wife of a striking verizon worker and,mother of three, working full time to support my family you people mak eme sick.

And we say the same thing about you and the strikers.

If you don't know the facts--stay out of something that doesn't concern you

Oh, but it does concern us. Who do you think are the ones who will pay for all this? Certainly not the union. They don't even want to chip in for their own benefits.

You just want us to sit here, support this crap and shut our mouths? Not gonna happen.

Anonymous said...

remember Dresser Wayne?

Anonymous said...

I am self employed and making about 25% of what I made 7 years ago. I may go on strike and picket my own company.

Anonymous said...

dittos 7:42

Anonymous said...

7:00 Just ask Dresser employees what the union can do for you!

Anonymous said...

“Four total crossed the line — one crossed the first day of the strike, and three crossed on Monday,” said Vinciguerra, a Verizon employee for 16 years. “Most people are scared; a lot of strikers are parents with kids going back to school. We’re telling them to get their physicals, get their prescriptions. We’re telling people to stick together. Nobody’s going to go hungry. Nobody will lose their house. If they need medical assistance, we’ll reach out.”


Harry Mitchell, director of public relations for Verizon Communications, said the move to cancel employee health and life benefits is no scare tactic, but rather, the result of collective bargaining with union leadership three years ago during contract negotiations.


“The union agreed to it in 2008 — in the event of a strike, we would suspend benefits,” Mitchell said Wednesday when reached at his office in West Virginia. “We are very interested in getting this behind us. It certainly is not helping customers, it is not helping Verizon and it is not helping employees. We continue to negotiate.”

Anonymous said...

7:42 is 100% correct. We all remember and had friends that worked at both places. Those of us on the outside absolutely knew what would happen if they went on strike one more time and it happened. Verizon will probably close the local doors. They don't need all those people anyway. I feel sorry for you, but the writing is on the wall. Business is bad all over and everyone has a cell phone now at home and not many with landlines!!!

Anonymous said...

Landlines are going the way of VHS, 8-track tapes, etc. etc. Most younger people don't even have landlines now. Cell phones do it all.

Anonymous said...

union members are parasites. they are blood suckers on companies. they do the minimum and contest normal operations to the point progress and efficiencies are never achieved. Fire all, replace all, and move on. Indians speak good English. Landlines are a thing of the past. close it down. use the internet, comcast, etc. these people will really start crying when their benefits are gone and their jobs are replaced. where will your UNION be then? Are they going to pay you 100% of your lost wages? Even give you back your dues you've paid for 20 + years? NOOOOOOOO!!! they won't! Stupid!!!!

Anonymous said...

8/17,9:23-My feelings exactly.Crown Cork was also a prime example.These people are fighting mad because they have been told to be.They are simply doing as they were told.If they were told to stop picketing and go jump off a cliff,I sincerely believe they would.