Protest shows solidarity between Verizon union & OWS

On the day Verizon announced that its third-quarter profits had jumped to $1.38 billion, more than 2,000 members of the Communication Workers union, together with contingents from unions including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union, District Council 37; the United Auto Workers; the Teamsters union; and the Professional Staff Congress of the City University of New York held a vibrant, militant picket line in front of Verizon’s headquarters on Water Street on Oct. 21.

WW photo: G. Dunkel

The picket line was joined by a few hundred people who marched down from Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Square. The OWS contingent was warmly welcomed and provided much of the music for the line and the march back to Zuccotti Square.

The CWA suspended its two-week strike against Verizon in mid-August, when the company agreed to start bargaining. Verizon wants to increase its profits by forcing concessions on its workers’ unions, mainly the CWA and the International Electrical Workers union. A concessionary contract would also undercut unionization efforts in its wireless division, which is almost totally nonunion.

The chants varied. “We are the 99 percent!” and “The people united will never be defeated!” were popular, along with denouncing the “Verigreed” of Verizon. On the march, Teamsters chanted “Whose streets?” and the CWA answered “Our streets!”

After marching around Zuccotti Square, the march headed off to picket a Verizon Wireless store on Broad Street. Some of the CWA members came back to Zuccotti Square to spend the night.

Both the CWA members and the OWS supporters appeared to be very satisfied with their solidarity.