How is your Union, really protecting you?

Verizon workers go on strike! Verizon makes a lot of money every year right? The latter statement is more important than the first statement, because the strikers are “land line” service workers a Unionized job, which is a prehistoric service that has lost its viability!

On the other hand the service Verizon is eating and getting fat from is its wireless service, which isn’t Unionized!
The workers in the land line division are suffering from 1 sickness it is called “spoiled employee syndrome!” Unfortunately they don’t realize they are not a viable investment anymore, I say “they” because even though they are physically telephone lines, they are the only unnecessary part of the process! Verizon is the #2 Worlds largest mobile phone provider, that work force isn’t represented by an Union, so they have a better opportunity to treat their employees in that division how they want to.

It is the Union’s job to acquire the best possible wages and working conditions possible for the Union worker, but when the Union worker is costing the company more than the Union worker is producing, because the Union worker’s product is inept, and out dated then what are both sides to do? On Verizon’s side they could continue to pull profits from the wireless workers production and keep the wire line employees happy! On the flip side, Verizon’s wireless operation isn’t Unionized by design, not accident!

It actually would have been a mistake if Verizon would have allowed Unions in their wireless division, because they would be stuck, in the precarious situation they are in now with the land line division, which is what are we going to do when your not profitable anymore?

As a Union Stewart I don’t want to represent an employee that doesn’t pay Union dues, but I have too if he/she asks to be represented. At the same time I don’t feel like it is right for Union workers to force a company’s hand by striking, when the consessions the company is asking them to make are actually understandable.

Verizon is asking for the employee to go to 5 sick days a year, take up more of the slack for their healthcare, accept pension freezes in exchange for a more aggressive 401 retirement package these 3 things are some important issues, but the 1 thing these 45,000 Verizon employees striking aren’t thinking about is, land line phone is extinct!

With VOiP, and cellular phones alone not to mention your free Skype, and Google phone options many people are “cutting” the cord of land lines! Who is really at fault here? In my opinion it is the Union! They have lost the chance to educate and really smack their employees back to reality!
Those 45,000 jobs can and will look really good to temp workers, International workers, and staffing agencies, that aren’t going to demand any benefits, or retirement options! In this case it was and is the Unions job to show the employee just where they stand and how they really don’t have fight in this situation! Verizon even bargaining with the employees is an admonishment, because they actually can show where the employees aren’t worth the money and benefits they have come accustom to having!

The Union was suppose to be the parent of the 45,000 Verizon land line employees, a mother/father figure teaching them that unfortunately everything doesn’t always turn out the way you want it too, but at this point you really can’t expect to continue to receive “Cadillac” benefits, for a “AMC” type of job!

The CWA is responsible for what’s best for its members, and sometimes that includes telling the members, this is the best deal we have and we are going to get, once you compare the members value vs Verizon’s cost! In this case, The CWA should have made the membership understand this ain’t 1989, and the wireless division of Verizon really doesn’t owe them anything!