"Can You Pay Us Now?"

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Chants of “Verizon, can you hear us now? Verizon, can you pay us now?” echoed outside Verizon’s downtown DC headquarters Tuesday during a high-energy lunchtime rally to support unpaid Verizon subcontracted workers. Over 100 workers and activists turned out for the rally to pressure Verizon to take responsibility for the exploitation and unpaid wages of dozens of subcontracted workers hired by Verizon to help install new fiber optics cables throughout the East Coast. “Verizon is hiding behind its subcontractors,” said Nerbin Rodriguez, who worked for a subcontractor in 2005 that dug trenches for Verizon in Northern Virginia. Though Rodriguez and other workers won a suit against their employer for wages owed last year, they still have not been fully paid. “I have a sick grandmother and the money I make goes to help her,” said Rodriguez. “But because I have not been paid, I am not able to send her money. We want Verizon to take responsibility and pay for the work that was done.” Metro Council President Jos Williams and DC Jobs with Justice Organizer Ruth Castel-Branco told the workers that the DC labor movement stands in solidarity with their struggle. “This is not just about wages but about the Verizon structure,” said Castel-Branco who added that Verizon is “disinvesting from DC, closing service centers in the city and is exploiting all workers, union and non-union.” “Your fight is a fight for dignity and for all workers because if Verizon exploits you then it is only a matter of time before Verizon exploits us all,” said Williams. “Do the right thing, Verizon, and pay these workers but more importantly cut ties with anti-worker subcontractors.” The rally followed Verizon’s statement – as a result of pressure from workers and their supporters – Monday that it would withhold work from some contractors if workers are not paid, reported the Washington Post Tuesday. Click here to read the full Post story.
- report/photo by Andy Richards