Long Beach Techs Testify about Verizon's Illegal Tactics

In arbitration hearings this week and last, eight  technicians from Verizon's Maintenance Control Office in Long Beach, Calif., have stepped forward to testify that the company used coercive tactics to intimidate union supporters in a representation election the workers narrowly lost in April.

The day before the election, Verizon's senior vice president for network operations, Michael Poling, went cubicle to cubicle telling the workers, "You will not get raises. You will not get under the union contract." Poling had been flown into Long Beach at the apparent instruction of Denny Strigl, Verizon's president and chief operating officer. The actions are violations of CWA's neutrality and expedited election agreement at Verizon that covers former GTE network services units. The workers lost the election by just 7 votes. Weeks earlier, 105 of the 170 workers had signed union authorization cards.

"It's courageous of these workers to come forward and testify given what they have endured," said CWA Local 9586 President Gregg Gibson, whose local has been assisting the workers. "The experience has made them stronger and increased their respect for what unions are all about," he said. Verizon's number two HR official flew in for the hearings assisted by three high-powered attorneys.

A second round of hearings is scheduled in October, but Verizon has filed suit in U.S. District Court to rule the arbitration out of order. It is claiming the complaint should have been filed before the vote, not afterwards. CWA's agreement with the company, however, specifically states that the union has 5 days after an election to file charges.

According to a mid-level manager who tipped off the local, Strigl had stressed the importance of defeating the union drive in a conference call for managers in California. From then until the vote, the company deluged the workers almost daily with e-mails attacking the union and collective bargaining.