Thread regarding Verizon Communications Inc. layoffs

@hf no- what they do is enforce the contract. Bad union members can be dealth with BUT managament has to follow th erules. They don't and won't (becuase of a whole bunch of reasons, many quite legitmate if you were in their shoes) so people are rarely fired.
By the way, it kind of works out the same in the non union world, for many of the same reasons.

@OP complete lie lol…and splicers are “outside plant”. The CBA doesn’t allow what you are claiming, they can’t “cut” anything before offering EISPS, and they are currently hiring as per the last contract. Over 85% of the workforce is pension eligible so you would have voulenteer’s before a layoff even sniffed its way over.

Regardless of all that you are 100% factually lying that there is some CWA/IBEW agreement in mace to do what you are claiming

@OP Dan Schulman, the former CEO of PayPal and current CEO of Verizon, has often mentioned in interviews and public statements that his grandfather was a union organizer in the garment district in New York City.
Schulman has stated that he believes he was "born with social activism in [his] DNA" and attributes this sensibility partly to his family background, including his grandfather's work and his mother taking him to civil rights demonstrations as a child. His grandfather was reportedly "beat up" in the course of his organizing work.
This family history of activism has influenced Schulman's own career and approach to business, particularly his focus on financial inclusion and improving the lives of underserved communities.

@OP The big problem with unions, is that they protect the f__k ups while padding the union officers stomachs..

@gp 💯

@ce with the way things are going in this country today, I think you’ll see Unions making a comeback. People need decent wages and benefits in order to have a decent life, Unions can help them achieve that goal.

@cb Hans...golden parachute from Ericson and now VZ...drove both companies down..

@bf I think you were surplussed already.

@OP Before unions, labor was characterized by grueling hours (12-14+ daily, 6-7 days/week) for low pay, dangerous conditions with frequent injuries/deaths, no safety nets (no comp/sick leave/unemployment), pervasive child labor, and little power for workers against employers, leading to widespread exploitation and repetitive, monotonous tasks. Workers had few rights, facing arbitrary firing, bribes for jobs, and constant downward pressure on wages, making collective action through early unions essential for change.
Key Characteristics of Labor Before Unions:
Extreme Hours: 12-14 hour days, 6-7 days a week were common, with no overtime pay.
Dangerous Environments: Factories, mines, and mills were hazardous, leading to frequent, often fatal, accidents, with no employer responsibility.
Child Labor: Young children, sometimes as young as 7, worked long hours in dangerous conditions sorting coal or in hot glass factories.
No Benefits or Security: Workers had no sick leave, vacation, unemployment insurance, or workers' compensation; job security was nonexistent.
Low Wages & Exploitation: Pay was meager (e.g., 9 cents/hour for domestic cooks), and workers often had to bribe foremen for jobs or face sudden wage cuts.
Monotony & Dehumanization: Tasks were broken down for efficiency, leading to repetitive, mind-numbing work.
Lack of Power: A surplus of labor (due to immigration and migration) meant workers were easily replaceable, giving bosses immense power.
The Shift Towards Unions:
These harsh conditions drove workers to realize that individual protest was futile, leading to the formation of early organizations like the National Labor Union and Knights of Labor.
These groups, aiming for broad membership (men, women, Black, white), sought to gain rights through political action, though early efforts faced backlash from violent strikes and negative public opinion.
This struggle culminated in movements that eventually led to laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act (1938) establishing the 40-hour week, a victory decades in the making.

@ce absolutely incorrect! We are growing stronger and the more all these corporations do what they are doing we will rise because we have no other choice than to fight back , our kids and grandchildrens future depend on it! Strength in numbers! Solidarity!

@c5 why is the union such a threat to you? Maybe because you know that belonging to a unified team who has the best interest of the company in mind. Because if they do well we all do well. Union workers are more reliable, and more dedicated. The company likes us for these reasons and also because the know exactly what we will cost over the term of the contract. No guess work. We are better employees because we have the force of the union behind us. We dont have to live in fear of loosing our job at any given moment therefore making us more committed to the company. There is no expectations, we know we'll befor hand. So when available I will always choose union. They are not the enemy. Strength in numbers.

Unions are history and in decline

@c5 one of the neat things about getting older is that you see how large organizations are run (often on purpose) by people who aren't that smart and/or have no leverage. There are massive incentives for management to maximize short-term numbers. If you make $1M+/yr, then a few years stint in the company as you hollow it out isn't an issue.

When you're a guy or gal who makes $80k and is trying to take care of kids, elderly parents, and contribute to your community, economic stability and protection from bad managers over a longer timeframe (decade+) is huge.

Unions, believe it or not, want the company to do well. They aren't stupid. Membership and wages grow when the company grows. First order thinking: paying good benefits and high wages is bad for profits. Second order thinking: you can hire dramatically better people for a given wage if they have a sense of security that a union provides.

Ever go through a massive layoffs? Of course you have, you work at Verizon. Is the company getting better? Lol, check the stock price AND employee morale AND customer retention numbers.

Hans took his golden parachute already. The union folks with families and community T-ball teams to coach will have to deal with the mess the short term managers made.

@c3 couldn't agree more. They're "an" enemy of the business. Not my fellow workers, but those who dupe them into membership, extract dues for their own personal gain, and in the meantime create an artificial, unsustainable economic environment that ultimately harms the rank and file. It's a dinosaur mentality in this day and age. But I get it. Once you're deep into membership, you buy the lie that you have no other options and that management's the enemy. Whatever. 🫩

They need to up the buyout money. You could barely buy a new Hyundai with what’s left after taxes.

my title is pay phone coin collector. i think i am safe. GO UNION!!!