ShellyLynn3630
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
Whats the deal with the verizon employees stricking. Gosh I hope this doesnt make my cell bill go up any more than it already is.
Verizon is looking to tie pay increases to performance review and require union workers to contribute to health-plan premiums. The company is also seeking to freeze pensions at the end of the year, eliminate the sickness and death benefit program, cut in half the sickness disability benefits from 52 weeks to 26 weeks and reduce sick time, according to a memo signed by William Huber, president of IBEW, Local 827.
The concessions equate to $1 billion if the loss of sick days and other benefits are factored in, Johnson said. Thats roughly $20,000 per worker.
Though wireline business may be in decline, picketers pointed out that the company as a whole is doing well, reporting billions of dollars in annual profits.
"So tell me, where is their loss?" said Dino Cantillo, a facilities technician and 17-year employee. Cantillo noted that Verizons CEO, Ivan Seidenberg, earned more than $18 million in total compensation in 2010 roughly $49,000 every day.
They are striking over health care benefits only in union locations. I have a friend who is actually being brought in to cover the jobs for these union employees...its mostly in New York City and its Verizon Business(if you didn't know Verizon is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world) not just wireless, but a multitude of telecom parts. He is flying to NY today to cover the job and is going to be gone for an unknown amount of time, but the company is paying his 300.00 a night hotel, food and flight. My friend said he saw some of the union demands and they are pretty outrageous..
They are striking over health care benefits only in union locations. I have a friend who is actually being brought in to cover the jobs for these union employees...its mostly in New York City and its Verizon Business(if you didn't know Verizon is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world) not just wireless, but a multitude of telecom parts. He is flying to NY today to cover the job and is going to be gone for an unknown amount of time, but the company is paying his 300.00 a night hotel, food and flight. My friend said he saw some of the union demands and they are pretty outrageous..
and i agree.. the demands are pretty ridiculous!
Neither you nor your friend know what you are talking about. I'm a unionized employee and we are striking to keep what we already have.
I'm always amazed that people think if a company is making money, that they somehow aren't allowed to make more money. That pretty much is the idea. The company answers to their shareholders, not the employees. If you feel it shouldn't be that way, you can stop participating in capitalism or travel back in time. Otherwise those are the rules the Western world runs by.
The "demands" Verizon has seems quite reasonable to most outsiders.
I used to work for a telecommunications company also.
Freeze the pension? My pension was frozen years ago, and as it is so underfunded it doesn't matter anyway. I can't even roll it over as the laws require me to take half now if I do that. Pensions are a luxury few large corporations still have.
No wage increases for 3 year? I haven't gotten a raise in 5. And I'm considered a top performer.
Contributions to a health plan? Seriously? My former employer would charge you a $1500 fine if your spouse worked and didn't use their companies health plan.
No job security? Are you serious?
Well I am just posting a conversation we had, he said he's going to enjoy going to NY to take a company paid trip though Should be interesting tomorrow when he arrive in NYC to start doing the job of the union people...he is coming in from the Tulsa Oklahoma office which was WorldCom before the merger.
I'm always amazed that people think if a company is making money, that they somehow aren't allowed to make more money. That pretty much is the idea. The company answers to their shareholders, not the employees. If you feel it shouldn't be that way, you can stop participating in capitalism or travel back in time. Otherwise those are the rules the Western world runs by.
The "demands" Verizon has seems quite reasonable to most outsiders.
I used to work for a telecommunications company also.
Freeze the pension? My pension was frozen years ago, and as it is so underfunded it doesn't matter anyway. I can't even roll it over as the laws require me to take half now if I do that. Pensions are a luxury few large corporations still have.
no wage increases for 3 year? I haven't gotten a raise in 5. And I'm considered a top performer.
Contributions to a health plan? Seriously? My former employer would charge you a $1500 fine if your spouse worked and didn't use their companies health plan.
No job security? Are you serious?
This is the best "reasonable" reply to the current state of the economy and realistic business terms. Great reply!
"Its your right to work, but its also a companies right to make money.
Most of us lost these benefits years ago. Welcome to reality.
Funny they said the same thing in 1989 when we went on strike against what was then NY Telephone Co. for 17wks. Yet here we are 22yrs later. Benefits intact and enhanced.
Maybe more of you should have fought harder to make a better reality.