Why telephone workers are fighting for the good jobs our communities'
need
By Myles Calvey 

Negotiations for nearly 70,000 Verizon workers - including nearly 13,000
in New England - will begin next June to replace the contract that
expires on August 2, 2008.  But Verizon's union members aren't waiting
until then to get ready.

This August 2 - a year early - more than a thousand telephone workers
will march to Verizon's headquarters and rally for the good jobs and
reliable services our communities need.  Union members are getting
prepared now because the next collective bargaining agreement offers us
our best chance to refocus management on making Verizon work for
everyone: customers, employees and investors alike.

In contract negotiations with the $88 billion telecommunications giant
next year, telephone workers will be pressing management at Verizon to
address the preservation of good jobs, quality health care and secure
pension benefits.  But much more is at stake.

For example, thousands of Verizon Wireless and Business employees want
the benefits and protections of a union contract, yet management is
opposing their efforts to unite in the IBEW and CWA. 

Employees and customers in Northern New England are facing a company
intent on destroying jobs and quality service by spinning off less
profitable parts of its business to a shaky company called FairPoint
that doesn't have the same capacity to expand high speed Internet
service throughout the region.

Finally, even here in Massachusetts Verizon has yet to offer its
high-speed fiber optic Internet services to many working class
communities, opting instead to focus on high-income cities and towns,
only increasing the digital divide.

Next year's negotiations for a new agreement will be critical to
everyone's future.  On August 2, Verizon workers and many of our
community allies will rally in a show of unity.  But telephone workers
can't stop Verizon's low-road strategy by ourselves.  That will take
much broader support from customers, regulators and our elected
officials.

A telephone worker for more than 35 years, Myles Calvey is the Business
Manager of IBEW Local 2222 and chair of the New England telephone
workers' bargaining committee.