CWA Calls on Virginia State Corporation Commission to Retain Regulatory Oversight of Verizon Service

Contact: Jeff Miller or Candice Johnson, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, 202-415-6566 (cell) and cjohnson@cwa-union.org

The full testimony and findings of technicians are available at:http://files.cwa-union.org/national/communicationspolicy/other/070601.pdf

Washington, D.C. – In direct testimony to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the Communications Workers of America spotlighted the continuing failure of Verizon Virginia Inc., and Verizon South to provide quality service to the vast majority of Verizon customers in the Commonwealth who rely on the traditional copper network.

Therefore, "the Commission must continue its regulatory oversight to protect customers from further deterioration of service and escalating rates," said Charles Buttiglieri, assistant to the CWA District 2 vice president, covering the mid-Atlantic states.

"Verizon is currently not providing quality service to customers who rely on its copper network," and has no intention of providing quality service to these customers in the future, Buttiglieri testified, noting that Verizon wants to "focus all its resources on the fiber to the home network -- FiOS – which is only being deployed in select areas."

CWA fully supports the build-out of Verizon's state-of-the-art network in Virginia as critical to providing the high speed broadband deployment that citizens need to take full advantage of 21st century Information Age technology, he said.

However, "most consumers in Virginia must rely on Verizon's copper network for voice telephone service, because Verizon does not plan to build its fiber network everywhere," Buttiglieri said. That's why it's critical that the Commission continue its regulatory oversight over the copper network that serves the vast majority of Virginia consumers, he added.

Verizon primarily is installing the fiber network technology along the I-95/I-64 corridor, with service not deployed throughout this region but in "cherry-picked subdivisions," Buttiglieri pointed out. CWA knows this because union-represented employees "are the ones installing and building the fiber plant," he said.

Buttiglieri offered the Commission statements and evidence gathered by Verizon CWA-represented employees throughout Virginia, documenting that the copper network is deteriorating badly.

Technicians and customers alike are frustrated, and "CWA members are tired of taking the brunt of Verizon's incompetence," Buttiglieri stressed. CWA members in Roanoke, members of Local 2204, rallied at a maintenance facility during a visit by the Verizon Virginia president, stressing that quality service was key to keeping Verizon competitive, not deregulation.  

Technicians also report that Verizon is focusing on temporary fixes and not permanent repairs.  

A Norfolk-area technician cited a backlog of cable requests from 2003; others report being told to fix just one line, even when multiple problems are found.

Making matters worse, employees working on the copper network cannot get tools or basic supplies, Buttliglieri testified. A Chesapeake-area technician reported that "no approval is given for tools and supplies are limited, making it impossible to fix basic service, let alone replace a piece of cable."

And as Verizon continues to shift resources to the areas where it is building FiOS, wait times for repair of service outages, response to trouble reports and installation of new service increase, the technicians reported, Buttliglieri said. A Virginia Beach technician reported that repair time has increased to six days…"in the past we were expected to provide same day service or perhaps two days, depending on the weather."  Installations can take three weeks or more; a Richmond maintenance administrator reported that as a customer, it took six weeks to have new service installed.   

Supporting CWA's position was Bion C. Ostrander, a certified public accountant and expert in regulatory and telecommunications issues. He said that Verizon's push for full deregulation in Virginia was a radical and unjustified move. "No state has granted a regional Bell operating company the equivalent and comprehensive deregulation" that Verizon is seeking. If granted, Verizon would be the least regulated regional Bell company in the nation, he added.