CWA Union Exposes Unlawful Retaliation by Yadkin Valley Telecoms Provider Zirrus

Yadkinville, N.C.: Union members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) across North Carolina joined together in Yadkinville, N.C., to stand up for the rights of an unlawfully fired union supporter at Zirrus, a Yadkin Valley telecommunications provider.

Since a supermajority of eligible workers petitioned for union recognition last month, Zirrus management has spied on employees engaged in organizing, interrogated employees about their organizing activities, and threatened to eliminate jobs if its workers organize.  

When those unlawful actions did not have the desired effect of weakening the workers' resolve to join the union, management fired a union activist because of his organizing activity.

"All of these actions by Zirrus management are illegal under federal labor law, and the Company knows it," said CWA Organizer Christina Ronk.  "Apparently breaking the law is the price that Zirrus is prepared to pay to try to stop their workers from organizing.  If the Company wants to battle it out in the legal process, CWA will do what we have to do.  But the workers won't be deterred.  Zirrus has shown its true colors, and its employees now know what they have to do to win this fight."

Tyler Hicks has worked as an Installation & Repair Technician for Zirrus for two years. He has been open about his strong support for the union since he and his coworkers petitioned for union recognition on August 9th. On Friday, September 1st, Zirrus management targeted Hicks and terminated him for being a union supporter the day after he voiced his union support in front of management.

"I have been with Zirrus for 2 years. The company is not the same Yadkin Valley Telephone Member Corporation as Yadkin County knows it as,” said Hicks. “I know the company targeted me for being a public union supporter and they unjustly fired me for that reason."

Video footage of the union action available here.