I saw your article in the globe and thought i’d pass this along to you from a friend of mine here in Boston’s financial district. This could be a good letter to the editor?

Verizon 2Q profits…=IBEW strike?

As an industry analyst, telecom consultant and former Verizon employee, I thought I would give my thoughts and perhaps give you and the public the perspective of someone who has seen all sides of what divestiture has done to telephone service?

As Verizon’s unions perpare to strike for the 3rd time in a decade…I have seen them bashed badly for their performance and called out of touch. The bulk of their issues are valid. The members of Verizon’s unions are fighting for their futures and should be commended and supported, not bashed. If more people in the US would stand up to corporations, perhaps our economy would not be in the shape it is today? Verizon has slashed jobs, outsourced overseas for several years now and it has resulted in a rapidly deteriorating level of service. Verizon has gone from a public utility to almost a public hazard. Most ads are just propaganda. Don’t blame the employees for something the have absolutely no control over. The blame belongs at the top, Verizon executives long ago abandoned both customers and employees in order to keep their salaries, perks, stock options and bonuses as high as possible! It is hard to fault union members for fighting increased health care costs, possibly no pensions, Verizon took managers pensions away a few years ago…when the executives walk away with millions of dollars in money they did nothing to earn? While Verizon continually cries about lower revenues…, but now 2Q profits….it has consitantly made horrible investments and disasterous decisions. The workers are now expected to pay the price for the mistakes of the overpaid executives? I think the public should support the employees on this issue.

I have seen the reports of what Verizon employees make and how overpaid they are? Again, if the executives can lavish themselves for poor performance, their is no issue why the workers should only be paid minimal amounts. The reports of tech’s income are incredibly inflated and border on lies. Many are forced to work overtime to fix the mismanagements mistakes, not always because of the weather. I know many tech’s and if the figures that Verizon claims were even remotely true, they could have retired after 15-20 yrs. Not anymore?

Verizon claims that it would like the unions to accept an agreement that allows them to be competitive, yet hurts its workers. The need to cut costs has been stated repeatedly.. However, Verizon saw no problem with rewarding one of it’s “co-CEO’s” with a consulting contract that pays him $3million a yr. Prior to this cost cutting measure, the “co-CEO” reportedly was paid just under 2million….I am not an accountant, but this does not appear to reduce costs?
I do not see how anyone could fault the workers for asking for equality when the executives behave like this? This is a blatant case of exec’s thinking they are above the workers. We have seen this before….Think Enron !!

Verizon has claimed that due to increased competition, it has lost many customers and therefore justified in laying off it’s employees. The truth is that Verizon has lost more customers because of their continual lay-offs than they did before. They have not rehired for the retirees lost before the last 2 contracts? Verizon has pushed more customers into the arms of it’s competitors due to bad, poor service and complete arrogance than ever. In many cases, many businesses can no longer view Verizon as a valid option because of detoriorating levels of service. Instead of addressing the issues, Verizon has resorted to increased PR to convince people that they are worthy of the phone service. Count how mant times in one day you see or hear Verizon ads on TV, radio or in print? Everyone knows who Verizon is and was the former “MA BELL”. The public has been promised “Progress everyday” for some time now….I can’t count how long I’m on hold or where or whom I’m talking to and in what country they are calling from? Think India…..if you can get through….you realize “Progress” hasn’t been made in years….?

The pubic needs to, for once, let Verizon know that its level of service is unacceptable. The treatment of its employees will not be tolerated and its attempts to sway the public will be ignored. Verizon has continually badmouthed the unions and employees and is trying to bust the Northeast unions. Try getting things done quickly down south…they are snails compared to the work ethics of people from the Northeast. Can you imagine your employer telling you to move for your job is now in Texas or S. Carolina? I have not seen the US government do much to stop the exporting of American jobs, it is time the American people did.

The employees at Verizon are fighting to keep what they have worked for, nothing else. Both management and unions have only more lay-offs to look forward to at this point. Verizon has and will continue to ruthlessly cut jobs to better pay it’s executives. Quite a Fortune 500 company huh?

This country’s unemployment and the economy has been in a slump for far too long because of the arrogance of companies like Verizon. Each day more jobs are being sent overseas for “cost-cutting’ measures, yet consumers rarely benefit, yet exec’s do…

Enough is enough, Verizon’s union employees are to be on the front lines of battle this weekend, to stop the layoffs, stop taking more benefits, and respect the workers who try to help the customers with service.

While there is good and bad with unions, it’s times like these that the voice of unions can still stand up to Big Corporations greed. I expect the coming weeks or months…to prove inconvenient, I think we need to support Verizon’s employees for standing up for bluecollar workers everywhere in USA.

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