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Keep Verizon Jobs in Our Communities!
 Like a master illusionist, Verizon, a.k.a. "The Great Verizondini," tries to obscure the truth.
Verizon is claiming that it needs "flexibility" to lay off workers because there just isn't enough work. Meanwhile, it's outsourcing thousands of jobs to low-wage contractors. When asked about jobs Verizon has contracted out in Canada and the U.S., a company spokesman said, "Those were never union or Verizon jobs. They were jobs that, all along, were being done by contractors. We have outsourced contracting jobs." (Do they give awards for corporate double-speak?)
Keep good jobs in our communities! Play fair with workers, do right by customers!
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject:
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
Verizon is making unreasonable demands that would destroy jobs in our communities and
jeopardize service.
Just last month, Verizon was forced to rehire 3,000 employees it laid off because an arbitrator ruled the company had violated a long-standing job security agreement with our union.
Now Verizon wants to change the rules so it
can fire those people all over again.
Verizon collected $25 billion last year from local phone customers in our region. But instead of investing in our communities, Verizon is demanding the right to shift
thousands of jobs anywhere in the country.
With profits of $4 billion, Verizon should be rewarding employees, not attacking
them. And after being fined $66 million for failing to meet quality service standards, Verizon should be improving service for customers, not shortchanging them.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
August 15, 2003
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Where'd the Jobs Go?
The Great  Verizondini's Sleight of Hand
Nothing is as it seems when the Great Verizondini is doing the talking . . .
 Poof! We Never Said That!
"Larry Plumb, spokesman for Verizon, said . . . Verizon wants to be able to shift more jobs to other lines of business and to call centers in other parts of the country or world." (Daily Labor Report, 7/31/03) Verizon's PR department didn't say a word when this statement was published. Only after two weeks of press reports and public criticism did Verizon pressure the newsletter to issue a "correction."
Abracadabra! Those Jobs Don't Exist
Verizon insists that the concerns we've raised about our work possibly being moved to Ireland, India, or somewhere else overseas are nonsense. "Verizon has no plans to move jobs out of the United States." (Verizon spokesman Peter Thonis, Boston Globe, Aug. 14, 2003)
The truth is that Verizon is already contracting DSL tech support work to a company in Canada, and it's performing data services at a subsidiary in India.
Oh, right, but those aren't union jobs, says Verizon. "It was work that was contracted by Verizon vendors here and is now being contracted over there."
Hocus Pocus! Watch the Jobs Disappear!
And what about those 2,500-3,000 DSL tech support jobs being done by contractors in Canada and the U.S.? "Those were never union or Verizon jobs. They were jobs that, all along, were being done by contractors. We have outsourced contracting jobs." (Do they give awards for corporate double-speak?) Oh, so it was just work that you were contracting out here - while you were laying off thousands of union members and threatening thousands more.
We've had enough of the Great Verizondini!
Tell Verizon: Instead of hiding behind a lot of tricky talk, let's bring in the work to ensure hometown jobs!
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