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Verizon Business Pulls Down American Flag of War Veteran |
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Kevin Byrne, Voice@Work field mobilization/communications specialist, describes a move by Verizon Business that most of us would call un-American.
When a majority of Verizon Business technicians throughout New England and New York formed unions with the Electrical Workers (IBEW) and Communications Workers of America (CWA), the company refused to recognize their union. Instead, management began a fierce anti-union campaign. But the animosity of Verizon Business moved to the absurd after the company removed an American flag from the cubicle of Terry Skiest, who recently returned from his third tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Skiest, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, recently returned from his third tour of duty in the Middle East and has proudly flown his unit’s American flag over the sands of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. (See a video of Skiest here, and then tell Verizon Business to put the flag back up on Skiest’s wall.)
When he’s not defending our country overseas, Skiest works as a technician for Verizon Business in Acton, Mass. Skiest is part of a group of technicians at Verizon Business who signed authorization cards and had their majority verified by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and four U.S. representatives last year. But when Skiest left his American flag hanging outside his cubicle during his last tour in Afghanistan, Verizon Business removed it.
Verizon Business recently implemented a strict policy against displaying “personal items” in public areas to prevent the posting of pro-union fliers, union organizers contend. The policy was put in place after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) cited the company for “interfering with, restraining and coercing employees in the exercise of their rights” to form a union by prohibiting distribution of union materials while permitting anti-union solicitations.
Maybe Verizon should take a look at the NLRB’s own policy. Just this week, the NLRB announced that an American flag will be displayed at every union representation election, stating:
The display of an American flag will impress upon all the participants to elections—employers, unions, and most importantly voters—the solemnity and importance of the Agency’s representation elections.
Meanwhile, back at Verizon Business, the American flag has become a symbol of the company’s determination to prevent employees from winning better pay and benefits comparable to their co-workers at Verizon Telecom, where some 95,000 employees already are united in IBEW and CWA.
Verizon Business employees are outraged by the action. Technicians are standing in solidarity with Skiest—and with all of our troops serving in the armed forces—by displaying hundreds of flags in cubicles all along the East Coast.
Verizon Business says, “Great companies are judged by what they do, not by what they say.”
For more than 200 years, our military has defended our right to free speech and assembly. If Verizon Business is the great company it claims to be—not to mention one willing to take billions of dollars in government contracts—it needs to put this soldier’s flag back up on his wall.
It’s the American thing to do.
5 Comments
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Verizon is in bed with George Bush, seeking immunity on Bush’s spy program FISA. Call your House members and tell them not cave in to Bush’s demand. Let Bush veto the bill, and see where his spy show goes when it expires tomorrow.
Verizon, who is the patriotic one now?
This is just the tip of the ice-berg. Verizon union workers need to understand that the company does not want union workers. They have gone to great lengths to stop it in the wireless & business. If they succeed in selling off the three northern states even the core Verizon employees will be affected. In the ballpark of 3000 jobs will go over to a company that will most likely not survive financially. It is a convenient way of disposing of union labor. This company thinks nothing of the lives of workers. Verizon’s only loyalty is at the top…everyone else, including lower level managers needs to be concerned. Removing Terry’s flag was a corporate decision. It was another shot accross our bow. Union members you are all on this ship…and with the contract looming you better start to ask your leadership what you can do to keep it afloat.
Verizon should be forced to have their office in Berkely, CA which is also anti-American.
If Verizon had their way, they would dump Massachusetts along with the other three states. Must remember the Executive Bonuses they gave out when the IBEW and CWA get to the bargaining table. No doubt the company will cry poormouth.
As for Terry, thanks for your service. I was activated in the NJ Air Guard in 1961 and sent to France and it was a picnic compared to the duty you good vets provide for our freedom.
To the Unions, bring desk flags to the bargaining table and place them in front of your spots at the table and tell them they represent “Terry’s Patriotism” and warn them not to touch them!
DX, Local 827, IBEW, AFL-CIO (Retired)
About 20 Verizon workers from across Massachusetts braved a snow storm and traveled to Terry’s office in Acton, MA on Friday, Feb. 22 to show their support for his right to display the American and Massachusetts flags outside his cubicle at work.
Pictures from the Feb. 22 rally and of other people showing their support for Terry are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/randwilson.aflcio/RallyToSupportTerrySkiest
Also on Feb. 22, thousands of Verizon workers across the country wore American flag stickers and decorated their cubicles and vehicles with flags to show their solidarity and outrage about VZB’s policy.