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Behind The Verizon Workers Strike
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About 40,000 Verizon landline and Internet workers along the East Coast walked off the job Wednesday after going eight months without a contract. It's one of the largest U.S. strikes in recent years.
"They want to strip away our job security," says Verizon technician and IBEW Local 2222 steward Bryan Phillips. "[They want to] move the jobs overseas, freeze the pension if not remove it completely [and] completely diminish health care."
Guests
Ed Hastings, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2222 labor union, which tweets @IBEW2222.
Rich Young, director of external communications and media relations at Verizon. He tweets @RichYoung8.
Tom Kochan, professor of work and employment research and engineering systems at MIT’s Sloan School of Management and co-director of the MIT Sloan Institute for Work and Employment Research. His recent book is "Shaping the Future of Work." He tweets @TomKochan.
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WBUR: Verizon Workers In Boston Join Tens Of Thousands On Strike
- "About 300 striking Verizon workers picketed outside the Verizon office building in Boston near Government Center. They carried signs that said, “Fighting corporate greed at Verizon,” and when a worker crossed the line to enter the building, they jeered."
The Boston Globe: Verizon Workers On East Coast Go On Strike
- "About 39,000 Verizon landline and cable workers on the East Coast walked off the job Wednesday morning, including more than 5,000 in Massachusetts, a day after the telecommunications giant announced a $300 million investment to bring high-speed fiber optic FiOS Internet and TV service to Boston."
The New York Times: Verizon Workers Strike On East Coast After Deadline Passes
- "Tens of thousands of Verizon workers on the East Coast walked off the job on Wednesday after the company and two labor unions failed to reach a new agreement by a 6 a.m. deadline set by the unions, more than eight months after their contracts expired."
WBUR: City Hopes Verizon Fios Will Boost Local Businesses
- "Mayor Marty Walsh announced Tuesday that Verizon will spend more than $300 million to bring its advanced fiber optic network to all corners of the city."
This segment aired on April 13, 2016.