[NYTr] CWA pickets Verizon Wireless over workers' rights to unionize

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Libn.com - Dec 24, 2007
http://www.libn.com/breakingNews.htm?articleID=9511#

CWA pickets Verizon Wireless over workers' rights to unionize

By Laura Theis

The Communications Workers of America continued its campaign against
Verizon Wireless last week when it formed a picket line outside stores
in Massapequa and Lake Grove.

CWA members picketed in front of the two Long Island stores for about
one hour handing out fliers to customers that said Verizon Wireless
employees were treated unfairly for trying to form a union. The members
also encouraged approaching consumers to shop at AT&T, the only
unionized wireless carrier.

Nassau and Suffolk County police broke up the picket lines

CWA claims that employees of Verizon Wireless have been harassed,
threatened, spied on and even fired for expressing a desire to form a
union.

“Workers at Verizon Wireless have been trying to organize a union for
awhile,” said Kris LaGrange, a spokesman for CWA.

CWA, which has been trying to unionize the wireless division of Verizon
since its formation in 2000 as a joint partnership between UK-based
Vodaphone Group and New York-based Verizon Communications, according to
David Samberg, a spokesman for Verizon Wireless.

“They do (these demonstrations) every year. It’s become seasonal, kind
of like clockwork,” Samberg said. “And they always pick the busiest
shopping season.”

Samberg said Verizon Wireless has always respected employees’ right to
form a union and that the majority of wireless employees have said no
to CWA’s many efforts to unionize workers, he added.

Only employees at Verizon Telecom, Verizon Communications’ telephone,
broadband video and long distance division, are unionized. And LaGrange
said that workers in that division make 40 percent to 50 percent more
than Verizon Wireless workers. And they also have better health
benefits, he said.

Samberg disagrees. He said that Verizon Wireless employees have
“amazing benefits” and many other perks, such as on-site day care,
short-term and long-term incentives and some even receive tuition money
for a master’s degree.

“It’s frustrating because they make these accusations about us and
there are no facts behind any of it,” Samberg said.

LaGrange said these seasonal demonstrations are getting the point
across. “These are not failed efforts,” he said, adding that several
wireless employees have signed union cards already, though he would not
give any numbers.

Samberg, on the other hand, said employees are unhappy with the CWA’s
forceful message and that the union needs to “respect employees’ right
to say no.” 

© 2007 Long Island Business News