This is a special edition of the Verizon Workers Rising Newsletter. Last Monday, our brothers and sisters in the Everett, MA retail store filed with the National Labor Relations Board to join our Union. They are following in the footsteps of the Brooklyn VZW workers who voted overwhelmingly to join the union in May. This fourth issue features stories that highlight their struggle for justice at VZW. If you like a story be sure to share it on Facebook!
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Everett, MA VZW Retail Workers Take Major Step to Win Union Recognition  
VZW retail workers in Everett MA decided to take a stand for job security, respect, and a voice on the job. On Monday, Oct. 20th an overwhelming majority of workers there filed with the National Labor Relations Board for a union election to join their brothers and sisters in Brooklyn, NY in the Communications Workers of America. The vast majority of workers in the store are wearing red wristbands to symbolize their solidarity with each other.Check out this AMAZING video they made as they get ready for their struggle for justice at Verizon Wireless. 
VZW Retail Worker Speaks Out: Why UNION, Why Now? By Daniel Unkel, Sales Rep, Everett, MA  My name is Daniel Unkel and I am a Solutions Specialist for Verizon Wireless at the Everett store. I graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in February of 2013 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health Sciences. As with many recent college grads, I ran into the problem of finding a full-time job. I worked many odd jobs until I was able to land a job with Verizon Wireless. Finally, I thought my dreams of climbing the corporate ladder and working my way up were coming true. Man was I WRONG.
I saw the problems almost immediately. While in training, the trainers always joked around with us stating that you can be fired for this, that, or the other thing. This struck a nerve with me. I put this aside and told myself when I hit the sales floor things will be better. After about a week on the floor I realized once again I was wrong. The ongoing joke with management that you can get fired for this, that, or the other thing continued.
Verizon Wireless likes to the use the term “This is Our House”, but really management makes all the decisions regardless of how it affects us as frontline employees. We are forced to wear whatever hat upper management wants us to wear on one day of the week, knowing that it will changetomorrow or even in the next hour. It seems we are asked to do more and more, while keeping up with constantly changing quotas but our compensation does not increase.
My co-workers and I finally said, “Enough is enough.” The whole thing started one day when I was helping a Verizon Landline employee who told me about a group of Verizon Wireless workers in Brooklyn, NY, who reached out to the CWA to form a union. With this information in mind I started my research to see if this could work for me and my fellow co-workers. I reached out to the CWA and my brothers and sisters in Brooklyn and I quickly saw how coming to together and having a voice on the job made for a better work environment and increased job security. After doing my research and getting my facts in line I reached out to my other co-workers, many of whom have been with the company three or more years who want the same things as me: work life balance, better working conditions, and job security. We all agree that change has to be made, not just for us, but for all Verizon Wireless employees.
We aren’t just forming a union in Everett. We are picking up where Brooklyn left off. We are joining a movement of VZW workers. Our voice is stronger together!
Brooklyn Workers Stand By Their Union
By Mark Ramesar, Sales Rep, Brooklyn, NY
My name is Mark Ramesar. I am a sales rep in Brooklyn as well as my location's shop steward. As you’re aware, my colleagues and I have won our election in May and are now part of the CWA Family. We are currently bargaining for our first contract and all is going well thus far. Even though our contract isn't finalized, we are still happy that we chose to have a voice at our job and we LOVE our Union! We are in great communication with our organizers who helped us in our unionization process as well as our local, 1109. I hear that HR has been telling people in other zones that we do not still love our union; that could not be further from the truth.
In recent events the company tried to get me in trouble for a situation that was not even that serious of a matter. Our HR rep, along with our DM, came to my store to have a sit down with me and get me in a whole lot of trouble. When asked to attend this meeting by my DM, I asked for my Union representation! He tried and tried to get me to go and even threatened me but I kept letting him know my rights as a union employee. I told him that I will not meet with him nor HR until my Union representative is present. HR and our DM were there the entire day until my representative arrived. When we had our meeting the union rep defended me and my discipline was reduced.
This showed my co-workers, managers as well as HR and the DM that there is a new way of handling things and it’s a new Verizon Wireless here in Brooklyn!
The days of old are no more! No more scare tactics, no more shaking people down as they have done in the past.
CWA all the way!
Verizon Hires $1,000/hour Lawyer to Try to Stop Union 
Verizon Wireless hired Arthur Telegen to advise them on breaking the union in Everett. Mr. Telegen is a “Labor and Employment” lawyer who will carry out VZW’s plan to break the union in Everett. Besides doing VZW’s anti union bidding, Telegen has worked for a wide range of employers representing management's side in employment discrimination cases and wrongful termination cases. Verizon Wireless will pay him around $1,000 per hour for his services. In Brooklyn, where retail workers successfully organized, VZW also hired a similar lawyer to try to break the union, and of course they lost again. Verizon Wireless will spend obscene amounts of money to try to keep us from having a voice on the job, but when we stick with our co-workers, we have the power to WIN!
You Can Do It Too! 
Brooklyn, NY paved the way; Everett, MA is next. You too can stand up for justice in VZW. The company is working hard to convince its workers that fighting back is impossible, or too risky, or not worth the effort. But Brooklyn and Everett are proof that we can stand up for each other. When job responsibilities are growing, income is shrinking, and management has full reign to call all the shots, you can’t afford not to organize.
Find out more about how to fight back, give us a call at (347) 979-2929 or send us an e mail at tdubnau@cwa-union.org.
Want More Info? Questions? Want To Get A Union In Your Shop?
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