Protest shows solidarity between Verizon union & OWS
By G. Dunkel
Oct 30, 2011
On the day Verizon announced that its third-quarter profits had jumped to
$1.38 billion, more than 2,000 members of the Communication Workers union,
together with contingents from unions including the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees Union, District Council 37; the United
Auto Workers; the Teamsters union; and the Professional Staff Congress of the
City University of New York held a vibrant, militant picket line in front of
Verizon’s headquarters on Water Street on Oct. 21.
The picket line was joined by a few hundred people who marched down from
Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Square. The OWS contingent was warmly welcomed
and provided much of the music for the line and the march back to Zuccotti
Square.
The CWA suspended its two-week strike against Verizon in mid-August, when
the company agreed to start bargaining. Verizon wants to increase its profits
by forcing concessions on its workers’ unions, mainly the CWA and the
International Electrical Workers union. A concessionary contract would also
undercut unionization efforts in its wireless division, which is almost totally
nonunion.
The chants varied. “We are the 99 percent!” and “The
people united will never be defeated!” were popular, along with
denouncing the “Verigreed” of Verizon. On the march, Teamsters
chanted “Whose streets?” and the CWA answered “Our
streets!”
After marching around Zuccotti Square, the march headed off to picket a
Verizon Wireless store on Broad Street. Some of the CWA members came back to
Zuccotti Square to spend the night.
Both the CWA members and the OWS supporters appeared to be very satisfied
with their solidarity.
