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NLRB Charges Verizon Wireless With Multiple Rights Violations
The National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint against Verizon Wireless, stating that the termination of one worker, the discipline of two others, a company "no solicitation" policy and its ban on discussing terms and conditions of employment are all violations of the National Labor Relations Act. A trial has been scheduled for Dec. 14.
Recently, Thai Nyguen and Greg Neubauer, customer service representatives for Verizon Wireless in Bedminster, N.J., appeared in a CWA organizing video.
Managers, Nyguen said, "look at you as if you're expendable. They don't see you as an asset to the company. They think they can take any moron off the street and train him to be a lackey, to do whatever they want, and that's it."
Neubauer described a grueling work schedule of handling call after call in three minutes with no more than 15 seconds between calls eight hours a day, then being told he has to work overtime. "I can barely do eight hours. Why would I want to do overtime?" he said. "Let me see a supervisor do this."
He went on to describe captive audience meetings with a lawyer and three managers present to remind employees, "We're all at-will workers here. You can be fired at any time for no reason."
The two service reps and others got into trouble when they started talking union in the workplace. Neubauer was three times disciplined, in August and October 2003 and March 2004. Steven Ferrante was also disciplined. In January 2004, Nguyen was fired. CWA filed unfair labor practice charges on all their behalf.
In the NLRB complaint issued Oct. 28, Celeste Mattina, Region 2 director, determined that in August 2003, company managers established a rule prohibiting solicitation in work areas and on break time. She found that it was enforced "selectively and disparately by applying it only against employees engaged in union activities, and by prohibiting union solicitation while permitting non-union solicitation."
Examining a second rule restricting discussion of terms and conditions of employment, she found that the company was "discriminating in regard to the hire or tenure or terms or conditions of employment … thereby discouraging membership in a labor organization."
She found both rules to be in violation of the NLRA and found the firing and discipline to have occurred because the workers "engaged in activities on behalf of the union and to discourage employees from engaging in such activities."
She ordered the company to respond to the complaint by Nov. 12 and to appear before and administrative law judge for a hearing on Dec. 14.
Recently, Thai Nyguen and Greg Neubauer, customer service representatives for Verizon Wireless in Bedminster, N.J., appeared in a CWA organizing video.
Managers, Nyguen said, "look at you as if you're expendable. They don't see you as an asset to the company. They think they can take any moron off the street and train him to be a lackey, to do whatever they want, and that's it."
Neubauer described a grueling work schedule of handling call after call in three minutes with no more than 15 seconds between calls eight hours a day, then being told he has to work overtime. "I can barely do eight hours. Why would I want to do overtime?" he said. "Let me see a supervisor do this."
He went on to describe captive audience meetings with a lawyer and three managers present to remind employees, "We're all at-will workers here. You can be fired at any time for no reason."
The two service reps and others got into trouble when they started talking union in the workplace. Neubauer was three times disciplined, in August and October 2003 and March 2004. Steven Ferrante was also disciplined. In January 2004, Nguyen was fired. CWA filed unfair labor practice charges on all their behalf.
In the NLRB complaint issued Oct. 28, Celeste Mattina, Region 2 director, determined that in August 2003, company managers established a rule prohibiting solicitation in work areas and on break time. She found that it was enforced "selectively and disparately by applying it only against employees engaged in union activities, and by prohibiting union solicitation while permitting non-union solicitation."
Examining a second rule restricting discussion of terms and conditions of employment, she found that the company was "discriminating in regard to the hire or tenure or terms or conditions of employment … thereby discouraging membership in a labor organization."
She found both rules to be in violation of the NLRA and found the firing and discipline to have occurred because the workers "engaged in activities on behalf of the union and to discourage employees from engaging in such activities."
She ordered the company to respond to the complaint by Nov. 12 and to appear before and administrative law judge for a hearing on Dec. 14.