Verizon Union Workers’ Acts of Sabotage Could Get Them Fired

What started as an inability to come to an agreement with two unions representing Verizon wireline workers – the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) – over healthcare premiums, pay increases, pensions, sick pay, and retirement benefits has quickly turned sinister. Since the strike began on August 6^th, Verizon Communications has reported nearly 100 acts of “sabotage” that have been carried out by striking union workers.

According to Verizon, just prior to the 45,000 union workers going on strike, everything from stolen electrical equipment in Cedar Grove, New Jersey to deliberately cut fiber-optic lines in parts of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Maryland have been documented. Moreover, numerous reports of strikers using intimidation tactics and illegally blocking work entrances for non-union employees has been reported throughout the Northeast – with two separate incidents in Maryland resulting in the arrests of 8 picketers. Recently, Verizon Communications successfully obtained preliminary injunctions in New York, Delaware and Pennsylvania, and were in court to receive two more injunctions for Massachusetts and New Jersey to put a stop to such acts.

Verizon refuses to take these acts lightly, and has stated that they will prosecute any guilty parties to the fullest extent of the law. As an incentive, Verizon is offering up to $50,000 as a reward for any information that results in the arrest and prosecution of any parties responsible for intentionally damaging equipment, and/or assaulting or attempting to cause injury to a Verizon contractor or employee.

Verizon Communications’ Chief Security Officer, Mike Mason, called the acts “reprehensible,” and noted that not only are these acts affecting customers’ services, causing longer waits for service repair as well as longer hold times when calling Verizon service centers, the deliberate attacks on their network have affected law enforcement, paramedics, hospitals, as well as other first responders. Mason also added that Verizon is currently conducting investigations while working alongside local authorities, and will terminate any employee found to be responsible of any such acts.

The CWA and IBEW portray Verizon as the evil step-mother, who feeds and treats her own children (in this case the top five executives, who over the last 4 years received over $250 million) like royalty while starving and over-working her step-children (in this case the union members who do not want to pay a higher healthcare premium or contribute to their own pensions). It is completely understandable that union workers are upset – who wants to tighten their budget in these tough economic times? But when the actions of a handful of frustrated and angry union employees go so far as to allegedly tamper with our own public safety and first responders, something must be done immediately. As far as this writer is concerned they should throw the book at them!