Verizon workers have voted to approve a potential strike, upset by lack of progress in hashing out a new contract for one that will expire August 6. According to
Bloomberg, health benefits are a particularly tough negotiating point this time around. "The company is insisting on gutting health care," Bob Master, a legislative and political director for the Communications Workers of America, told the news outlet. "I have never seen bargaining this unproductive in 25 years." Verizon insists that they're asking that union workers contribute upfront for health care like other employees do, with the changes necessary to keep the company competitive. Verizon saw earnings of $3.6 billion on overall revenues of $27.53 billion last quarter.
Update: An insider offers this bit of additional information:
Verizon has a plan in place to replace striking workers temporarily with salary employees from VZB and VT (business, telecom). Hotels, flights, and rental cars are booked, and have been for awhile, it's just been kept quiet. Workers are coming from Texas, Florida, and as expected, the east coast. The numbers are over 10,000. I don't think Verizon is messing around this time and wants to break the union (just my personal opinion).
