Verizon Union Workers Walk Off Phone and Fios Lines to Form Picket Lines

Sunday at midnight, 45,000 unionized Verizon line workers and installers in a strike over benefits. By Sunday morning, they had traded repairing utility lines for walking picket lines in states from New England to Virginina.

Members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 13000 were picketing in front of the Verizon Wireless store at the corner of Route 1 and 320 near the Springfield/Marple town line. This was just one of hundreds of picket locations from Virginia to New Enland.

Striking workers say the company wants them to start paying some of the costs of benefits that have been paid by Verizon until now. Click on the video clip to hear what two striking Verizon installers say about the company, their families, and the reason they are off the job.

The strikers say pay rates are not at issue. The strikers on Route 1 say Verizon is financially strong, thanks to the work the union members have done over the years to build the company and they are unwilling to give back any of the benefits they have won through previous contract negotiations.

Verizon has said it is trying to contain costs in all of its wireline businesses which have been declining in recent years with the explosion of wireless (cellphone and internet) businesses.

Read more background on the talks and what led up to the strike here on the Huffington Post.