JOIN Members of GEO/UAW Local 2322 at Verizon Wireless, 360 Russell St., Hadley (corner of Maple & Russell St, across from Trader Joe’s) every Thursday from noon-1:00 pm until the Strike is won!!!
UAW 2322 President Ron Patenaude’s Statement on Verizon
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
As you may have heard close to 50,000 Verizon workers went out on strike Sunday in response to the grotesquely regressive offer put on the table by the management. That “offer” included severe cutbacks to worker’s health insurance plan, a reduction in sick time down to 3-5 days, elimination of holidays including both Martin Luther King Day and Veteran’s Day, elimination of contract protections against outsourcing work and a slew of other untenable proposals.
Make no mistake, these proposed cuts are not in response to the economic crisis that many workers have been facing since the housing, banking and financial industry drove our nation and the world to the brink of financial collapse. No, Verizon made $3.9 billion in profits last year and paid NO corporate taxes. From 2007-10, Verizon’s CEO was paid $81 million (I refuse say earned) that’s $55,000 a day. every single day of the year! During the same period, Verizon’s top five executives received $258 million -(that’s more than a quarter of a BILLION dollars).
Verizon doesn’t need take backs to survive or be competitive in the market or for any other reason than to increase their already outrageous profits at the expense of the workers whose productivity produced those profits. This is a blatant attempt to bust the unions at Verizon, nothing less. We cannot and must not let that happen. The corporations buy our politicians and corrupt our political system so that greedy companies like Verizon can make $3.9 million in profits and pay no taxes . They need to be sent a message. They can’t have more, they don’t need more, and we will not let them take more from working people.
Members of the IBEW (international Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) were in Boston last week to stand with our UAW/GEO members in our fight against outrageous increases in student health insurance costs by another greedy corporate entity Aetna Insurance Company. We need to stand in Solidarity with members of the IBEW and CWA (Communication Workers of America) in their fight. Please check the locations and times below for pickets and contact us at the Local to let us know when you can join them on a picket line and to pick up signs.
Fraternally,
Ronald R. Patenaude, President UAW 2322
Other ways to help
Picket with Telephone Workers, IBEW Local 2324, 7am-7pm, at:
- 365 State St, Springfield
- 295 Worthington Street, Springfield
- 1420 Boston Rd, Springfield
- 1123 Riverdale St, West Springfield
- 360 Russell St, Hadley
- Easthampton Rotary – Main & Pleasant Streets
- 61 Masonic Street, Northampton
- 24 Federal Street, Pittsfield
- 1899 East Street, Pittsfield
Also:
- Don’t cross the picket lines!
- Consider switching from Verizon cell service to AT&T, the only union cell service.
- Send a letter now to tell Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam to stop Verizon’s greedy attack and share his company’s successes with those who made it possible: http://www.cwa-union.org/verizongreed
More Info at: Local 2324, 413-734-0863, http://ibew2324.org/