said by baineschile :

As long as the strike is running over the fiber optic lines, it should be over very quick.

said by supergirl :

However, if it really hurts too much, like GM, you might have just unemployed yourself.

said by cypherstream :

Please don't strike! Our Verizon T1's go down at work every time it rains! Who's going to fix them then?

said by mod_wastrel :

Maybe they'd actually show up for installation appointments, too.

said by Acc708 :

Another uninformed decision. Who do you think allows for the over scheduling of orders? Clue, it is not the associates. It's the management.

said by mod_wastrel :

Another uninformed assumption. The installer parked down the street, crawled back into the truck after putting out cones, and apparently took a nap for an hour or so before driving off--probably too tired from a Friday night of partying. He arrived on the street at the appointed time but simply called in to say no one was home, not knowing that the resident of the home was on the phone with Verizon support at that exact time. There was no over-scheduling, just a lazy-ass installer.

said by ITALIAN926 :

quote:

---

Well, considering when I had Bell and it took 8 techs and 1 engineer to fix static and the guy that fixed it was a new tech and found a simple screw loose in the NID, STRIKE, STRIKE, STRIKE! Do it know. Let's so how bad VZ POTS sucks without workers? It can't get much worse. Two weeks to fix a POTS line? What is it rocket science now? And, to be blunt, Comcast is kicking VZ's butt anyway so all those VZ people will eventually be working for a non-union company anyway. Well, except the FIOS people us stockholders hope. The Strike would be COMCASTIC

---

Rocket Science ?? Look at your grasp of the English language ! You are exxagerating your situation.. and if youre so damn smart, the NID is accessable and you shouldve fixed it.. huh??????

said by keyboard5684 :

Last time they striked I got FASTER service. A manager actually came out and fixed the T1 after 20 minutes.

Union is outdated. It brings the costs way up, they have too many rights (more than a normal employee does) and there is entirely too much corruption.

The union employees could care less about the company....

said by Shadow01 :

High quality, low paid contractors "scabs" or managers, which do you prefer?

said by Hellrazor :

Pretty obvious the high paid union workers can't get it right. Maybe he has a better chance with the scabs.

said by pnh102 :

GO SCABS!

said by S_engineer :

So, your willing to give up weekends, benefits, and the forty hour work week that the unions have given to you.

said by S_engineer :

All of the production of goods in China, outsourcing of jobs to India, and justification for 50 million dollar CEOs comes from your mentality.

said by S_engineer :

I hope your kids like working at Walmart.

said by S_engineer :

So you paint everyone thats in a Union as a criminal or is sympathetic to one.

said by S_engineer :

Never mind the fact that our benefits are negotiated in a contract and not paid for by the gov't...unlike Walmart that works some people 37 1/2 hours a week to avoid being obligated to offer benefit packages.

said by S_engineer :

Unions created the working class.

said by S_engineer :

Furthermore, without the option of collective bargaining, are you stupid enough (thats the pic I paint of you) to think that corporations would offer benefits on thier own?

said by S_engineer :

And by the way, the only reason benefits were initially offered by corporations to unions was to offset pay raises that Unions were asking for in the negotiation process.

said by S_engineer :

Look now at whats offered...middle class pays a growing percentage of their income just for their own insurance...401ks instead of pensions...(yeah that will be good)91 % of 401ks have remained within +- 2% of thier pre 2001 level.

said by S_engineer :

And as far as Walmart goes...your already paying for their employees healthcare....over 7 billion dollars worth.

said by S_engineer :

PS. I'd love to see you walk up to a Union member in my city and call him a criminal...FH

said by pnh102 :

It is an irrefutable fact that unions have strong links to organized crime. Go and read up on your union history if you have any doubt.
So it is Walmart's fault that the government offers better welfare benefits? The scenario you describe happens in every state that has very generous taxpayer-financed medical insurance programs.
Yes, that was back in the 1930s. What good have unions done lately? All I see now are many formerly unionized employers shutting their doors and setting up shop in places where unions have no clout. Sadly, most of this time this ends up being in a foreign country.
If this was true, then why do many non-union employers offer such benefits?
That is not true at all. The real reason that health benefits became part of standard compensation was because of wage controls imposed during World War II. Employers needed other incentives to lure qualified employees and health benefits became that incentive.
And look at what has happened to most union funded pensions. Many went bust. Now the taxpayer is picking up the tab. At least with a 401k people have some flexibility and control over their investments.
Again, it isn't Walmart's or any other corporation's fault that the welfare state is so generous. If you read up on the history of welfare in the USA you will find that it came into existence long before Walmart existed.
Why? Because they'd prove me right?

No, because you would see your father or mother or brother or sister or even yourself.

said by panda :

I am refuting your irrefutable fact. Simply because you state "unions have strong links to organized crime" does not mean it is the truth, nor does it mean that it is the whole truth.

said by panda :

Why does crime exist? Read up on *that*!

said by panda :

It is not the fault of *just* Walmart, rather it is the fault of *all* the RICH.

said by panda :

And, if you think that welfare benefits are *better* than union benefits, try living on welfare.

said by panda :

These programs of which you refer, how did you come upon the description of "very generous"?

said by panda :

Have you ever had to rely on them? Do you know anyone that has?

said by panda :

I can tell you they are not that generous at all.

said by panda :

Back in the '30's? Yes, and we are fighting to keep the working class.

said by panda :

We need to get people, like you, to see the need for organization.

said by panda :

And, we need to organize those foreign countries!

said by panda :

Non-union companies offer benefits *because* of the union!

said by panda :

Not because they are good-hearted, but because the unions negotiate a fair wage, fair benefits, and fair conditions for ALL!

said by panda :

I proffer the view that it was a corporatist political ploy as the "real reason".

said by panda :

Not just union pensions went "bust". And you are painting much too positive a picture of the 401k as a self-managed retirement plan.

said by panda :

How can the average worker pay into a 401k when his wages are all too quickly eaten up by living expenses?

said by panda :

But, is is Walmart's fault! The reference was to the *added* cost of Walmart's greed.

said by panda :

And, again, you state that the welfare state is generous. Are you currently on welfare? You wouldn't call it generous if you were.

said by BrooklynTech :

I think many of the anti union posts here by people

1 that are jealous
2 that have to pay for their own benefits.
3 that make salary and don't get compensated for OT.
4 that like being treated like modern day slaves.
5 that work to many hours to see their families.
6 that spend most of their days under their bosses desk
"earning" their pay.

Just figure I'd stir the pot the other way for once.

said by xrandom :

I hope this comes to a fair conclusion for both sides.....

(my FIOS install is on Monday!)

said by hottboiinnc :

unions do not have memberships. With a membership you'd have to going willingly. It's more like blood money. The Unions FORCE the employees to join and VZ doesn't like it.

Hell i wouldn't either. Who says that employees should be forced to join a union if they don't want it for what ever reason?

LOCK 'EM OUT VZ!

said by bushleaguer :

If the strike occurs at 12:00 midnight on Monday morning, does that mean that all installs will be automatically cancelled or are the installers not part of the unions that are threatening the strike?

said by Acc708 :

Experience says that any non emergency service will be pushed back. Installs in residential are obviously going to be lowest priority.