[August 12, 2011] Land-line workers take strike to Verizon's wireless office Tweet Aug 12, 2011 (The Frederick News-Post - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The fifth day of Verizon's land-line employees' protests continued Thursday at the company's wireless office on West Patrick Street in Frederick. About 30 workers, members of Local 2100 of Communications Workers of America, were on strike to secure job benefits for about 45,000 employees in the Mid-Atlantic region. Verizon spokeswoman Sandra Arnette said Monday that the company's land-line business has significantly decreased as more people opt for wireless service. The contract with Local 2100 of Communications Workers of America was agreed to when wireless was nonexistent. A new contract is necessary to be competitive and cope with changes to their business structure, she said. The workers said they are not buying the company's attempt to draw a distinction between its wireless and land-line services. "They say their wireless service is increasing but we do build, install and maintain the fiber to their cell towers," said Robert Maring, a land-line technician. The striking workers asked Verizon customers to take their business elsewhere Thursday. Some did, to cheers from the strikers. Others didn't. In fact, some customers didn't appreciate being told where to take their business. "I don't want to be offensive to them but I don't want them to be offensive to me," said Dave Schultz of Mount Airy. Schultz said neither he or his wife had land lines. "These people would not have jobs if the company wasn't making a profit," Schultz said. Maring said they want to work for a profitable company, but Verizon made $10 billion last year. He said it's not fair that the company is asking for $1 billion back from its employees in concessions. Frederick resident Eric Brown had come to the Verizon store for a new memory chip for his girlfriend's phone. He also did not like being told which phone service to use by the striking employees. "This is America and everybody is entitled to their opinion," Brown said. "I respect their right to protest but they got to respect my right to pay whatever I want to pay for my service." When Brown heard the striking workers say to a customer who turned away from the store, "Thanks for believing in America," he responded, "There's nothing un-American about Verizon." Land-line technician Scott Jackson said Verizon presented 100 concessions during bargaining, including cuts in healthcare benefits, holidays and a freeze in retirement savings. "They will say in these tough economic times employees need to make concessions but Verizon is not experiencing tough economic times," Jackson said. "They made over $24 billion in the last four years and made money this quarter. Their proposal to us equates to $20,000 a year per member." In a press statement issued Thursday, Verizon said discussions are continuing between the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The discussions are being held in Rye, N.Y., and Philadelphia. Five days into the strike, the company said its land lines are performing solidly even as acts of sabotage increase. Since Aug. 6, Verizon crews have encountered more than 90 acts of sabotage against network facilities that temporarily affected service to thousands of customers across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, including police stations and other emergency responders. In most cases, crews restored service within 24 hours. The company said it is working with the FBI to investigate the incidents and is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of people who intentionally damage Verizon cables or facilities or cause or attempt to cause physical injury to Verizon employees or contractors. Verizon is urging anyone who sees sabotage of its property or suspicious activity to call 911, then call the Verizon Security Control Center at 1-800-997-3287. To see more of the Frederick News-Post or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.fredericknewspost.com. Copyright (c) 2011, The Frederick News-Post, Md. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]