Verizon Workers Rally as New Contract Deadline Nears

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Spirits were high outside the downtown DC Verizon headquarters Friday afternoon where Verizon workers and their supporters rallied for a fair contract. “No contract, no work. No work, no peace,” chanted the group while bargaining continued inside the headquarters. The action – one of dozens of rallies at worksites across the East Coast – came on the heels of CWA and IBEW’s announcement that they had set a new contract deadline for this Monday at 12:01A. Workers extended the the previous contract deadline and postponed a strike late last Saturday night after progress was made on many critical issues (Verizon Workers Postpone Strike 8/4/08 UC). But “that progress has become slower and slower as the company drags its feet,” says a Unity at Verizon newsletter sent Friday morning. Still at issue are workers’ right to permanent, quality jobs at Verizon and other job issues, health care and retirement security, a fair wage settlement and more. Workers could strike Monday if an agreement is not reached before the Sunday deadline.