Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Good piece in Common dreams by Ralph Nadar

Published on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 by CommonDreams.org

Dark Horizon for Verizon

It was only a matter of time before the "pull down" NAFTA and WTO trade agreements on U.S. wages and jobs would be followed by "pull down" contract demands by U.S. corporations on their unionized workers toward levels of non-unionized laborers.
The most recent illustration of this three-decade reversal of nearly a century of American economic advances for employees is the numerous demands by Verizon
Verizon Picket Local 6016Verizon keeps saying that what they're doing just "reflects the changing times." The times are changing - skyrocketing executive pay packages and corporate profits - slashing benefits for the workers and their families - shredding of all moral authority by example from the top. (photo: CWA District 6 Photos)
Here are just a few of the concessions the new Verizon CEO, Lowell McAdam, is insisting upon:
--More power to contract out and offshore jobs to add to the 25,000 already in that category; thereby undermining job security.
--a freeze on pensions;
--elimination of the sickness and death benefit program;
--reduction in sick days; and
--a major increase in employee contributions to and deductibles under their health insurance coverage.
Mr. Lowell McAdam would surely have trouble feeling the pain of his workers who brave the elements storm or shine to afford him a salary of over 1.5 million dollars PER MONTH plus perks and benefits.
Watching Verizon profits soar year after year, noticing Verizon stock rise faster than its competitors, knowing that the company's top five executives took in over $250 million between them in the last four years, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) took their members on strike on August 7, 2011. "Unfair and unacceptable" was their cry on the picket lines up and down the east coast.

For rest of piece: http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/08/23-5?print

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