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CWA Protests 'Family Unfriendly' Policy at Verizon
CWA members turned out in Meriden, Conn., June 1, to press for workers' rights at Verizon Wireless and to rally around Kara DeWitt who was fired by the company for taking too much sick leave for herself and two young daughters while her husband was serving in Iraq.
Joining about 100 CWAers at the rally outside the Verizon Wireless facility were Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and State AFL-CIO President John Olsen, among others.
DeWitt thanked CWA members for their support and said "it's a shame Verizon wasn't more supportive."
What was to have been a six month tour of duty beginning in February 2003 became 19 months away from home for Army Reserve Sgt. Dale DeWitt and other members of the 439th Quarter Company, which includes members from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont.
Kara was a customer service employee at Verizon Wireless, who, following a maternity leave for the birth of their second daughter Daisy, returned to work in August 2003.
Despite having received several awards from the company for outstanding customer service over the course of her employment, Kara was fired because she had used her full quota of five paid sick days, and then needed some additional days off when she came down with a stomach flu. Kara tried to use her vacation days, and also to use the benefits of the Family and Medical Leave (enacted in 1993 to help families care for the illness or birth of a child or parent), but Verizon Wireless wouldn't cooperate.
CWA members are writing to "Working Mother" magazine, which listed Verizon Wireless as one of its top 100 companies for working mothers, to set the record straight about Verizon Wireless' actions.
Joining about 100 CWAers at the rally outside the Verizon Wireless facility were Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and State AFL-CIO President John Olsen, among others.
DeWitt thanked CWA members for their support and said "it's a shame Verizon wasn't more supportive."
What was to have been a six month tour of duty beginning in February 2003 became 19 months away from home for Army Reserve Sgt. Dale DeWitt and other members of the 439th Quarter Company, which includes members from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont.
Kara was a customer service employee at Verizon Wireless, who, following a maternity leave for the birth of their second daughter Daisy, returned to work in August 2003.
Despite having received several awards from the company for outstanding customer service over the course of her employment, Kara was fired because she had used her full quota of five paid sick days, and then needed some additional days off when she came down with a stomach flu. Kara tried to use her vacation days, and also to use the benefits of the Family and Medical Leave (enacted in 1993 to help families care for the illness or birth of a child or parent), but Verizon Wireless wouldn't cooperate.
CWA members are writing to "Working Mother" magazine, which listed Verizon Wireless as one of its top 100 companies for working mothers, to set the record straight about Verizon Wireless' actions.