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House Reps Assail Verizon Wireless Union-Busting
One hundred and thirteen members of the House of Representatives signed a letter sent April 12 to Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg, calling upon him to personally investigate the union-busting activities of Verizon Wireless and to have Verizon Wireless pursue "a more cooperative and productive labor policy," as envisioned in the Employee Free Choice Act.
Representative George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and a primary sponsor of the act, topped the list of signers along with Representative Rob Andrews (D-N.J.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee relations.
CWA President Morton Bahr said the letter came after an intense lobbying battle between union legislative activists and the company.
"Verizon actually threatened House members with a loss of investment in their districts," Bahr said. "Unfortunately, some caved in. Personal lobbying by Seidenberg and Wireless CEO (Dennis) Strigl elevated the issue beyond what it would have been, had the company just ignored the matter.
"Strigl, for example, called Miller repeatedly in an effort to meet with him before the letter was sent," Bahr said.
The letter outlines "what appears to be a corporate-sponsored policy of union avoidance at Verizon Wireless," ranging from National Labor Relations Board complaints arising from supervisory threats, surveillance, interrogation and firing of union supporters, to conducting captive audience meetings and sponsoring an anti-union website.
"We are concerned that these sorts of actions frustrate workers in the exercise of their fundamental rights," the representatives wrote. "We are also concerned that such strategies produce long-term conflicts between labor and management to the detriment of all, including workers, management, shareholders, customers and the public."
The letter points out that Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless's chief competitor with 22,000 unionized workers has been able to operate successfully, with positive labor relations.
"Cingular's adherence to (neutrality and card check recognition) demonstrates a successful model for the respect of workers' rights," the letter said. "Two hundred and forty-eight members of the 108th Congress endorsed the Employee Free Choice Act to require similar processes as a matter of law."
Representative George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and a primary sponsor of the act, topped the list of signers along with Representative Rob Andrews (D-N.J.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee relations.
CWA President Morton Bahr said the letter came after an intense lobbying battle between union legislative activists and the company.
"Verizon actually threatened House members with a loss of investment in their districts," Bahr said. "Unfortunately, some caved in. Personal lobbying by Seidenberg and Wireless CEO (Dennis) Strigl elevated the issue beyond what it would have been, had the company just ignored the matter.
"Strigl, for example, called Miller repeatedly in an effort to meet with him before the letter was sent," Bahr said.
The letter outlines "what appears to be a corporate-sponsored policy of union avoidance at Verizon Wireless," ranging from National Labor Relations Board complaints arising from supervisory threats, surveillance, interrogation and firing of union supporters, to conducting captive audience meetings and sponsoring an anti-union website.
"We are concerned that these sorts of actions frustrate workers in the exercise of their fundamental rights," the representatives wrote. "We are also concerned that such strategies produce long-term conflicts between labor and management to the detriment of all, including workers, management, shareholders, customers and the public."
The letter points out that Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless's chief competitor with 22,000 unionized workers has been able to operate successfully, with positive labor relations.
"Cingular's adherence to (neutrality and card check recognition) demonstrates a successful model for the respect of workers' rights," the letter said. "Two hundred and forty-eight members of the 108th Congress endorsed the Employee Free Choice Act to require similar processes as a matter of law."