Los Angeles Protest in Support of Striking Verizon Workers

On August 18, 2001, loud and determined chats filled the intersection of Wilshire Blvd and Western Ave. in Los Angeles’ Koreatown.

“No more corporate greed, union jobs are what we need! Hey, hey, ho. ho, union busting has got to go! This is what democracy looks like! What’s disgusting? Union busting!”

A protest organized by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (Buy Here Pay Here Act), including members of the Communications Workers of America, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers, California Nurses Association, Service Employees International Union, United Teacher of Los Angeles, United Auto Workers and other unions, as well as the Coalition for Economic Survival, was held outside a Verizon wireless store.

The demonstration was in support of the 45,000 Verizon Communications workers from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., who went on strike earlier this month after negotiations broke down over a new labor contract for more than a fifth of the company’s work force.

Verizon is the nation’s largest wireless carrier. The contract that expired covers workers in the company’s wireline division, which includes local-phone operations, services for businesses and governments and long-haul wholesale traffic.

Other workers covered by the contract include 10,000 represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who serve as telephone and repair technicians, customer service representatives, operators and more.

Workers were forced to strike to stop Verizon’s Wisconsin-style attacks on the middle class, elimination of health benefits and outsourcing of good jobs.

Despite the fact that the company’s revenue rose 2.8 percent to $27.5 billion in the second quarter with its growth largely attributed to its wireless seo companies business, Verizon is refusing to bargain and is demanding that its workers add to those profits from their own pockets.

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