CWA Petition Drive Against Verizon Greed Tops 100,000

Supporters Rally Around Verizon=Very Greedy Campaign

For release Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2011

Contact: Candice Johnson or Chuck Porcari, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, cjohnson@cwa-union.org and cporcari@cwa-union.org

Washington, D.C. — In just one week, more than 100,000 people have called on Verizon chief executive officer Lowell McAdam to get serious about bargaining and to stop trying to push Verizon workers out of the middle class. That number will swell as even more organizations contact their members to urge support for Verizon strikers.

The $100 billion, very profitable company has paid its top five executives more than $258 million over the past four years but it continues to demand $1 billion in concessions from workers. That's $20,000 in compensation per worker per year.

From coast to coast, working families, unions, students, progressive groups, civil rights and community organizations and many more have joined the fight against Verizon's greed. In addition to signing the petition to Verizon's CEO, allies are joining picket lines at Verizon Wireless stores and planning back to school actions.

At www.unityatverizon.com, supporters can sign the petition, join a picket line and take other action to help defend Verizon workers' bargaining rights.

"We will never have an economic recovery if profitable companies like Verizon can demand huge concessions from workers. You don't build a middle class by cutting workers' wages, benefits and standard of living. That's just one reason why Verizon is becoming synonymous with VeryGreedy," said CWA Communications Director Candice Johnson. Verizon workers are prepared to return to work when Verizon demonstrates that it's ready to bargain seriously, Johnson said.