Verizon granted injunction against picketers in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware

By on Aug 15, 2011 at 5:35 PM
mobile August 15, 2011

Courts in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware have granted Verizon Communications injunctions against striking union workers who are picketing outside of its corporate offices and retail locations. Specifically, the injunctions are against members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Last week, Verizon filed lawsuits against the Communications Workers of America in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Massachusetts and accused the union workers of sabotage and harassment. 45,000 Verizon Communications employees, about 25% of the company’s workforce, went on strike on August 7th after the company failed to reach an agreement with labor unions over health benefit premiums. Managers are currently filling in for the strikers until a deal is reached, although at this point it appears negotiations could take a while.

Read

Tags:
, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
68 Comments

Related Articles

  • Sam The Man

    My brother works in a Verizon branch here in Massachusetts. I honestly don’t know how the police didn’t come and throw them in jail. They were vulgar, they harassed the customers who tried to enter the VZW store by blocking the door, and the were very rude, harassed and were hostile to the workers when they would leave or come to work or go out for lunch. 

    I’m glad something is getting done about it.

    • http://twitter.com/sburlbaw Steven Burlbaw

      Well don’t sit their a play judge so quickly. Wouldn’t you be pissed if YOUR boss said, let’s increase YOUR costs for health benefits by 25%. Meh, not that bad huh? You could live with that, but what if you have a wife at home with illness which requires $500+ a month in medications, you in turn are forced to pick up the bill where it USED to be covered through insurance coverage. Now, not everyone may in that type of position but my point is they do have a right to be pissed. Would you welcome someone into your bosses company with open arms when he just docked your pay by 25%? See where I’m going? While my numbers may be inflated, it’s still a valid argument the unions have.

      • Confused

        Why would they be striking at a VZW store…I mean they are technically a different company….

      • Sdny877

        One stock. Same company. All vzw employees do is sell phones and do work at cell tower. Everything else is Verizon core

      • MAXiPad

        that has absolutely nothing to do with harassing people as they enter stores.  All you are doing is complaining.  You must be poor.

      • Yada

        If you dont like it get another fricken job. Man the handouts people want. How about you go start your own business and think for yourself.

        They have a choice accept that they have to pay something into the health plan and live with it, or get out and find another line of work. You always have choices, just because you don’t like it doesn’t make it true.

        I know go on strike cut police lines, harass customers and the side of the business that actually makes money.

      • Sean

        Thank you, well said!
        If you don’t like your job, get another one. There are so many millions of Americans out of work right now these people should be happy they even have a job.. the company I work for also increased the cost of our health benefits but guess what? We don’t have a Union to baby us in a right to work state, so we had to bite our tongues and accept it. The cost of EVERYTHING is going up in the U.S., so naturally, your benefits will also go up in price. I’m just grateful I still have a job when so many others do not. And again, if you don’t like your job – GET A NEW ONE! There are plenty of other people ready to line up to fill that slot and actually be happy just to have a job.

      • Anonymous

        Right on! What a bunch of slacker ingrates. Asking for fair pay and decent benefits while the company they work for makes billions in profits is a moral outrage! They should forget about pensions, 401K plans and health insurance too. Their employees should commit sucide when they become too old or too sick to work for Verizon any longer. Verizon employees should crawl on their bellies and beg to come back and work double the hours for half the pay they were receiving. In addition, they should turn over their union leaders to Verizon so that they may be flogged to death in the breakroom as a lesson to other employees who ask the company for handouts.

        After all, if they don’t like it they can go get another fricken job.

      • RH

        Welcome to the real (non union) world!  My healthcare costs have gone up for the last 4 years, and the unions are complaining about having shell out a small amount of their wages to their own healthcare?
        Personally, I’d like to see EVERYONE in charge of their OWN healthcare.  Ask most people today how much does it cost for a doctor visit and you will get “my copay is xxx”, which is NOT what I asked.  I asked how much does it cost for a doctor visit.  They look at you like a deer in the headlights.  They “think” the copay is how much it costs.  If they had to pay directly every time they went to the doctor, I bet a lot would think again about going to the doctor for a simple cold, the flu or something similar.
        Also, the mandated costs to provide healthcare to illegal aliens drives the cost for everyone.
        Get the @#(^&*@! government out of the loop, allow people to CHOOSE their doctor, not have to go into an HMO/PPA and watch the price come DOWN as doctors & hospitals will have to compete with each other.

      • Sepdivwanbe

        : So, you want us to stay home when we are sick because it is expensive to go to a doctor. That is a great argument.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_YCHGT5KAKHAUZ55FASXLGVLMMU Anonymous

        Steven didnt you vote for the FRAUD in the White House? Just wait for Obama Care. Its gonna worse for everyone. And for the Unions Minons….What sickop liberals.

      • Sepdivwanbe

        : Please enlighten us as how would this happen?! Please stop repeating this BS without backing up your outlandish accusations.

      • Anonymous

        Another Fox News viewer gives their opinion.

      • https://sites.google.com/site/barry99705/ barry99705

        At least you have insurance.

      • Yoyo

        Well lets put this in actual perspective.

        No companies give free health care anymore
        Verizon Landline isn’t making as much profit as it used to
        Would you rather start contributing or just have massive layoffs to cover the money being lost???

        Still a valid argument by the Union????

      • superman117

        The issue is these greedy thugs think that paying the same as every other vz comm and vzw worker is below them, they deserved to get fired, but unfortunately tha would be worse for public image then this drama.

      • CONCERNED

        I use to work for Verizon Wireless in Florida which has no union and they treated us like animals. No job security 2-bad I didn’t have a union backing. Because the little people get crushed by large companies because that make drastic changes on the fly affecting peoples life’s after putting in years with no job security and real say so on valid issues. VW GTH

      • Anonymous

        I can relate. I worked for T-Mobile where there is no union. Same things happened to us. Pay rate changed on a whim, no internal promotions, and older employees fired for little or no reason with no severence and no one to turn to.

  • HoffasKneeClub

    Could you imagine getting smartphone customer service from the lady in the #2 spot from the picture?  Look at those thumbs!!!

  • Jostajtf

    Verizon is Evil. I hope the strikers get what they want out of greedy VZ. 

    • http://twitter.com/snookasnoo Idon’t Know

      Yup.

    • zacamandapio

      Sometimes union doesn’t mean better.  But sometimes companies take as much advantage as possible.
      Hopefully they get what they deserve.  We need people working.

    • Kwamiga Adogla

      What an ignorant comment, if VZ is evil why the f&ck do they then work for an evil company????

      • Ben

        They work for an “Evil” company because jobs are scarce and it has become necessary to work for whoever offers a job, evil or not.

  • http://twitter.com/snookasnoo Idon’t Know

    Of, for, and by the corporation.

  • Jd

    I’d fire ‘em all. 

    • Brandon

      Please don’t take the actions of a few members and stereotype the entire union. I’m a member of CWA, and never once have I harassed or assaulted anybody while picketing. As a matter of fact, I don’t even acknowledge the workers going to work because I know they’re just doing what they go to do to get paid. I can tell you now that most of us just want this strike to be over so we can get back to work.

    • Anonymous

      You really don’t get it. UNIONS SAVE FAMILIES. The union has saved my family multiple times.

      • Anonymous

        I agree and I wish we had a union to protect me and my family when I worked for T-Mobile. Any working class person that is anti-union is a jackass who knows nothing about the history of American Labor. The big corporations want to break the unions so that they can go back to the old days where they were free to treat their employees like dirt.

      • Yoyo

        And at the same time i can call anyone is not anti-Union a jackass. The problem with you is your mind set is completely screwed up, you seem to have trouble accepting the fact Unions are pointless now. Now im sure you will make ANOTHER post about how Unions did such and such, but everything you’re mentioning that Unions did was started MANY MANY YEARS AGO. Like i already stated we have enough LAWS within companies that Unions don’t need to be around anymore. Its not like if Unions go suddenly OSHA will vanish and we will go back to working more than 8 hours without lunch breaks, no that will never happen again even with Unions vanishing it just won’t happen. The majority of us agree Unions were useful and needed and they did their part back when it had to happen, but they don’t benefit anyone anymore times have changed and workers are protected in many more ways nowadays than they were in the early 1900s. Continue spewing your pro union crap all you want, but the facts are right infront of you…….you just choose to ignore them.

    • http://twitter.com/sburlbaw Steven Burlbaw

      You will never be successful in the business society with that attitude…

    • Mytgr143

      there’s the answer Jd. Unfortunately, there will always be those few that due to their bad behavior it is a reflection on the rest of us. However, It’s people like you who are uneducated and have no clue as to what the issues are who are the first to judge. We work hard, very hard, make many sacrifices for years and years. We fought for what WE DESERVE and because the company knew we were worth it we got it. Now, because of Corp greed they want to take it from us. We don’t make $55,000. per day like the fat at the top. We make a decent wage and we bust our butts for it JUST LIKE THE REST OF MIDDLE CLASS  workers. 

  • IPwn

    All the hostilities must be on their chant cards. Unions are so genuine.

  • http://twitter.com/sburlbaw Steven Burlbaw

    This is very sad, one of the largest coorporations in America is suing their own employees, why? oh they harass our customers? block our entrances? I’m sure if these actions were violent or publicly disrupting, the protesters would have been arrested.  But instead Verizon plays the bully role while the ‘picketers’ get bullied around by the justice system (pretty just eh?). 

    Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth….
    But a govt that backs large corporations will fail….vested interest.

    • Dglenn5625

      This whole situation is STUPID – Verizon makes record profits; and the idiots picketing are driving away the same customers that allow them to have a job! P.S. Verizon workers….. There are a lot of people without jobs right now.

      • Mytgr143

        ya, so lets add to it… there’s the ticket.

    • MAXiPad

      but what if “the people” would like to purchase a new phone without being harassed.

  • Anonymous

    This sucks for the poor workers.  Verizon is making LOTS of money and their management team is getting raises.  I may cancel my contract if this continues.

  • http://profiles.google.com/stfuxoxo JJ Doe

    What most people don’t understand is that the part of Verizon that’s on strike mostly deals with its old core business – landline phones, which is a slowly dying industry. There simply isn’t enough demand for the older landline services. I am not anti-union (though I am not gung ho on them either) but if I was in this line of business, I’d have made an effort years ago to transition to a growing unit. Too many people in this country still think once they are hired somewhere they have a job for life.

    • Sdny877

      That’s what the company says. Every cell phone hits a tower which is fed by copper t lines or fiber placed by the union workers. They also handle many businesses data circuits.

      • Anonymous

        Incorrect, only in some regions does Verizon Wireless use Verizon Landline facilities. In some regions like the Midwest not a single cellular call travels across a Verizon Landline fiber or copper line from the tower to the mobile switching center (MSC).

  • Cry me a river

    Go back to work you losers.

    It’s a for profit company. Nowhere does it say you are entitled any share of that profit.

    If you can complain about it, work harder and smarter and become management.

    Stop crying to the American people. I could give a shit about your 10% health increases you dicks. Work or quit, but either way quit crying.

    Jack welch said it best – “unions are capitalism poison.”

    • Anonymous

      Please go back to school and study the history of American Labor before you post such a stupid comment. Even if you are not a union member most of your worker rights and benefits are a result of the labor union movement. It is easy for Jack Welch (and the other corporate fatcats) to make such a comment because they already got theirs…and they want to take yours too!   

      • Waaaahhhhhh!

        The history of American Labor is what is wrong.  It’s a model that no longer fits.  I need no more schooling, dildo, but you want to consider yourself.   Capitalism will prevail.  If you think I’m offered health insurance and two weeks vacation because of Unions, you are as stupid as you look.  It’s called the free market.  If my company did away with benefits, guess what would happen?   Benefits are compensation, the more the better.  I went 2 years without a raise, and not a peep.  I didn’t picket or cry to anyone else.   If I didn’t like it, I had every right to leave.  So do these losers.

      • Anonymous

        Maybe you should have paid attention in school. The very reason you even have benefits is because of labor unions! There were no such things as paid vacations and employee health insurance before the creation of labor unions. Supporting unions does not make someone anti-capitalist. If you want to argue tht some unions make outrageous demands I would agree. I support unions because they protect workers rights. I know first hand what it is like to have my rights as a worker trampled on and not have anyone to look out for my rights.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5HSF7K6WH3MOY3WOLI6C52M3LM Lily Rice

    I just paìd $22.85 for an ìPad 2-64GB and my girlfriend loves her Panasonic Lumix GF 1 Camera that we got for $38.78 there arriving tomorrow by UPS. I will never pay such expensive retail prices in stores again. Especially when I also sold a 40 inch LED TV to my boss for $625 which only cost me $62.81 to buy. Here is the website we use to get it all from, CentHub.còm

  • Yoyo

    I have no sympathy for them whatsoever for many reasons.

    1.Everyone pays for Health Insurance these days Verizon was one of the few companies that offered free Health Care and at this point in 2011 they can’t justify it yet apparently those who work for Verizon have a problem with joining the rest of America.
    2.You sit out here picketing infront of stores yelling at people saying that you have kids and can’t fee them yet you like a god damn idiot are on strike during a touch economy and bringing home NO MONEY because you can’t/choose not to go to work, smart move btw
    3.Pensions…..First let me state i never was ok with giving people free money just for being with a company, hell i didn’t even want to go on unemployment when i was let go and got off of that as soon as i could, i don’t deserve free money from anyone everything i have i earned by working hard and DON’T feel i should be entitled to anything. Now ideally i could see Verizon giving those who been with the company for a certain number of years the pension and having a cut off point and going forward not giving any. It doesn’t make sense in this day and age especially in this economy to just give free money.

    And finally for those who are on strike, stop being assholes infront of the Verizon Wireless stores, customers don’t need to have to deal with your rudeness and those who work at the stores have nothing to do with you or the strike and work on commision so yeah you’re affecting them too WHEN THEY DID NOTHING.

    Asswhipes!

    • Brandon

      Why don’t you stop stereotyping every union member that pickets Verizon Wireless stores? Ad mentioned before, the vast majority of the people on the picket line have done nothing wrong to the VZW workers or their customers.

      • Yoyo

        Im just calling it as i see it, if the only people i see are being assholes well agree with me or not but all i see are 10 people being assholes because they can’t get their way. 

  • Yoyo

    Also i hope they let all those people on strike go as there are plenty of people who need a job and actually want to work and not piss and moan when they don’t get their way!

    • Brandon

      You’re obviously one of those anti-union persons who believes everything they hear on TV. Did you know this strike was about a lot more than just health care? Of course not. All you heard was Verizon Management mention health care on TV, and you assumed that’s what this is all about. Let me school you on something. Verizon went to the Union with 100 concessions that they wanted the Union to accept. If the Union would’ve accepted those concessions, more jobs would’ve been at risk than ever before. But I guess in your world, that would’ve been OK. No wonder this country is going downhill, and the middle class is slowly disappearing.

      • Yoyo

        Im very anti union and i can tell you right now i would still go to my job rather than bringing nothing home to the table if i was in a stupid union as that’s the proper thing to do and the right thing. And i’ve looked up many of the other issues like the sick days and finding reasons to let people go or tying performance into pay and i still have no sympathy for any of you. Personally Unions should be obsolete, its 2011 they serve no purpose anymore.

  • Yoyo

    And for those who are pro Union let me ask this you’re in a Union(lol sucks to be you) and a strike is called what exactly do you plan on doing to support your family, do you think walking in a damn circle like a moron for 8 hours a day chanting and waving signs will put food on the table or would reality and logic sink in and you would go back to work even if it means to be called a “scab” lol

    • Brandon

      As far as putting food on the table, you have to remember. We know 3 years in advance when the contract is going to end. Any responsible person has already prepared for this well in advance. As far as Unions serving purpose. Even if only one of the concessions were negotiated down or eliminated(obviously we know it will be more than one), then the purpose has been served. Without Unions, just about every job would pay less, and have little to k ow health benefits. Even if your dont work with a Union, you can rest assure your boss knows what benefits Union employees are getting. He/She will provide you the best pay/benefit plan they can offer to secure your employment and prevent you from leaving them for a competitor, who may be unionized.

    • Anonymous

      Please study the history of American labor before posting such stupid comments. If you are so anti-union please tell your employer that you want to work under the same conditions that people worked under before the creation of unions. I bet they go for that.

      • Yoyo

        Before you make such ignorant statements realize that this isn’t the early 1900s where Unions had a purpose no its 2011 where we have enough laws protecting people that we don’t need Unions, they served their purpose now its time to go.

      • Anonymous

        And the reason you have the laws that protect the people is because of the unions! If you get rid of the unions you eliminate the rights of the workers. If you studied your history (and it seems that you didn’t) you would know that the one of the first things the Nazis and the Communists did was to do what you want to do and eliminate the unions.

  • ConcernedDude

    Wow… some of you people commenting here are part of the ignorance that is driving this country into the ground. While I am no union fanboy, their relevance should be clear in this day and age where corporations do more and more as they please. And in a country that has all but left behind manufacturing and craft jobs. And where the little guy is just a number on a print out.
    Sure these people should be happy to actually have a job. They should get their lazy asses back to work. They should just take what they can get in this economy. Right? But wait.. should a corporation just take advantage of a bad economy to further increase it’s profits? Verizon is not a tanking or hemorrhaging company. They are and have been profitable throughout the economic crisis. So, why should these people give in. What happen to that american fighting spirit. So what if you don’t get health care and they are fighting for theirs. If you don’t get health care than maybe you should be applying at verizon. This is a corporation taking advantage not only of a situation but of it’s employees. Of course landlines are a dying business but it is a very very slow dying beast. For those of you comparing landline to wireless and referring to them as separate, and if you miss the post (somewhere in here): your beloved cell phone calls and data run on this dying beast infrastructure. The same one these lazy asses maintain.

    • Brandon

      Not to mention the fact that Fios Intetnet/TV, which is part of the landline business, was profitable per Verizon’s last quaterly report. When people say “landline”, for some reason they only focus on copper line home phones. The company invested millions of dollars into Fios, and despite the fact the company has recently shifted it’s focus to 4G, Fios still made profit. As far as lines lost, Verizon’s lost lines were the lowest it’s been in years last quarter.

  • Timbucktrio

    Lol, these union guys on here act like their not overpaid…

    • CWA Union Member

      Overpaid? Why is that people believe that because they don’t make as much as someone else that it’s the person who’s making more fault? Get off your ass and work to achieve more. Don’t blame union members for what you don’t have. 

      • Yoyo

        Oh just like the CEO of Verizon did to make as much as he is now, you know the same CEO i hear the union guys crying about for making so much, doesn’t seem like you’re so understanding of how the pay structure works in the corporate ladder system.

    • Yoyo

      They’re not working right now so they’re not overpaid now ;)

      • Brandon

        Overpaid? Maybe non-union guys are underpaid. Trust me, I know. I’ve Been on both sides of the fence.

      • Yoyo

        Im non union and paid quite well and actually have a job to go to right now unlike certain others

      • Brandon

        Overpaid? Maybe non-union guys are underpaid. Trust me, I know. I’ve Been on both sides of the fence.

  • http://profiles.google.com/pmendez.hou Pedro Mendez

    by the end of this week they will have set up and gotten on line their new branch in India to replace 25% of the workforce they just lost and all this will be for nothing. they don’t call them Big Red for nothing.

  • Anonymous

    I saw them at my home town too. THEY need to compromise not kick them out.

blog comments powered by Disqus