Between 500 and 800 supporters of the strike against Verizon are expected at tonight’s protest march in West Nyack.
Members of the striking Communications Workers of America (CWA), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Rockland Young Democrats, supporters in the labor community, clergy and elected officials are expected to participate in the candlelight vigil. The march is scheduled to begin at the Birchwood School and proceed about a quarter mile to Chairman of the Board Ivan Seidenberg’s house.
“We’re all going to be there. We have the neighboring locals and other middle class Americans coming over, ” said CWA 1107 Vice President Eric Goodwin.
Goodwin said members of CWA Locals 1103 Port Chester and 1120 Poughkeepsie, the IBEW and New Jersey locals will be joining them. Goodwin said they would be carrying a coffin and “signs showing middle class America’s heartbeat going from good to pretty much dead.”
Around 25 of Local 1103's Putnam County members are slated to attend as well, according to Chief Steward Pat McDonnell. He has been one of the dozens of workers rallying on Route 52 in Carmel since Sunday.
McDonnell said picketers have received tons of support from passers-by — in the form horn honks, thumbs-up and cheers — and one or two negative reactions. They have also received food and beverage donations from local businesses, including the lunch Healy's Corner Restaurant in Carmel delivered around 12:30 p.m. Friday.
"The morale is getting better," he told Patch. "We're talking to the public. We're fighting for the middle class."
McDonnell said that CWA members are willing to work without a contract, but not without bargaining rights.
"Big corporations just want to take everything away," he said.
Joe Coe of the Rockland County Young Democrats said they are participating in the march to support the middle class and bargaining rights. He expects between a dozen and 20 members of the group to attend including some elected officials.
“As democrats we need to make sure that collective bargaining is intact,” said Coe “When we stifle this, we do a great disservice to our country.”
A union statement says, “Verizon Chairman Seidenberg took home $81 million over the past four years – 300 times an average workers’ pay.”
It lists several of Verizon’s proposals for a new contract:
- Eliminating disability benefits for workers injured while on the job.
- Elimination of all job security provisions.
- Eliminating paid sick days for new hires and limiting them to no more than five for any workers.
- Freezing pensions for current workers and eliminating them for future employees.
- Replacing current health care plan with a high-deductible plan requiring up to $6,800 in additional costs.
45,000 Verizon workers went on strike Sunday morning. CWA’s contract with Verizon covers 16,000 workers in New York, about 300 work in Rockland County. The company got injunctions restricting the number of protesters at Verizon facilities. Negotiations are ongoing in Rye Brook and Philadelphia.
Southeast-Brewster Patch editor Ashley Tarr contributed to this report.
That is such a stupid brain-dead argument. You've been brain-washed by leftist pro-union propaganda. If all these corporations are so greedy, then why don't some of the MILLIONS of union workers start corporations that are NOT greedy, and that pay high wages, and give excellent benefits, and offer lots of vacation time, sick days, free child care, and all the other things that unions try to extort from the so-called greedy corporations??? If you don't like the job, go work elsewhere. Or start YOUR OWN COMPANY. And if you run your own company, BE SURE TO BE GENEROUS to your employees. Of course, union workers do NOT launch such wonderful corporations, despite MILLIONS of people needing jobs, and despite BILLIONS of dollars of venture capital being readily available. As for corporations paying no taxes......that is the fault of corrupt politicians NOT the fault of the corporations. Elect people who will fix the badly broken many-thousand-page tax codes of America. Of course, if leftists had their way and passed tax codes per their beliefs, then be prepared to have large corporations move out of America. Because that is exactly what would happen. Unions have been a large part of the problem with the economy. Union mentality does NOTHING to foster excellence in the workplace, but rather fosters mediocrity and lazy selfish "the-greedy-corporation-owes-it-to-me" mentality.
Why, in many cases, are people FORCED to join the union??? Why do unions force employers to give the same pay raise to all workers instead of rewarding excellent work and NOT rewarding lazy and incompetent workers??? Commenter "John T" wrote "All those so called "union thugs" are our neighbors." Well, there are lazy selfish people everywhere. And even good people can be brain-washed into believing some "cause" is a good cause. Especially when it unfairly rewards them for little or no effort on their own part.
WHY??? Why does a worker "deserve" anything beyond what the initial agreement between themself and their employer specifies? Just because they show up for work?? Unions foster incompetence. Unions discourage excellence by using intimidation and/or violence at times. Over the years I have asked many times, WHY don't some of the MILLIONS of union workers start their own corporations and pay high wages, and give excellent benefits, and offer lots of vacation time, sick days, free child care, and all the other things that unions try to extort from the so-called greedy corporations??? Why don't unions create their version of "GOOD" corporations? The competetion would help force the so-called "greedy" corporations to provide better conditions and benefits. Nobody has ever answered that question with any valid logical response. And I believe it is because unions are run by thugs, and have the support of millions of greedy people who have an entitlement mentality. Those people believe they "deserve" more pay, better benefits, etc., etc., etc., because the "greedy corporation" owes it to them. What a pathetic way to live one's life that is.
"You created an account on Patch yesterday, apparently to do nothing but spout standard radical right nonsense, Why should anyone take what you say seriously?" Gee, such a clever intellectual statement. Care to provide an example of what you consider "radical right nonsense" ?? I signed up to comment on this topic because I have strong feelings about how badly unions are harming America and our economy. But of course, a leftist would not want to extend freedom of choice into this realm, because it is against their beliefs.
I'm not going to waste my time addressing all of your nonsense, so I'll just quote one bit: "Of course, union workers do NOT launch such wonderful corporations, despite MILLIONS of people needing jobs, and despite BILLIONS of dollars of venture capital being readily available." Individuals don't start corporations, they start small businesses and, if they're both smart and lucky, their business will grow. So your entire statement is moot right there. The old rule-of-thumb was that you should have at least a year's worth of money to live off of while you start a new business; I'm sure that it's more than that now. I rather doubt many middle class families have that kind of money in the bank or are willing to risk it in this economy. Small business owners are struggling, both because of low demand and because they can't get loans. That makes it even less appealing to start a new business. Finally, there aren't "BILLIONS of dollars of venture capital" readily available.
"Ah, another person who magically appeared a few days ago to post about the Verizon strike". There's nothing 'magical' about me more than anyone else posting here. Not sure why you need to point me out. Is this your little club? I don't understand why you made this comment, but I'll try to stay out of your way.
I use my own name and own my words. When it appears that I made a mistake, I try to correct it. Wouldn't it be great if more people did that?
If it's true that Verizon is seeking $1 billion in concessions, however, that goes way beyond asking for union members to give a little. Verizon has thus far refused to say what they're demanding of the unions, which makes it hard to evaluate the situation. Clearly Verizon is asking far more than asking the union to "give a little", though, or there wouldn't have been a strike.
Apology accepted. ;)
They want to work for a living. This isn't over the union workers wanting a raise. It's about the company wanting them to go backwards: lose benefits they have now.
In economics, as in sports, we should adopt good rules and insist that everyone play by them. Then we should stand back and applaud the winners
I know i jumped on a little late here but it sounds like your a company woman. I once worked for a company woman who tried to fire one of my co-workers for slipping on a patch of ice while carrying a ladder. She also advised someone to climb a pole in a thunderstorm. These are the things that unions protect us from. Remember the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire? Google It. I feel bad for anyone that works for you.