Local Verizon Staffers Join the National Strike

A group of Verizon employees joined the national protest this week when they gathered outside Verizon retailer on JT Connell Highway.

The employees, who represented local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers chapter 2323, gathered Wednesday outside the store to insist Verizon soften the edges on a new contract. Signs on scene stated that Verizon should "Keep Our Jobs in America" and "IBEW on Strike Against Outsourcing Jobs."

The union members represent a fraction of the Verizon employees that went on strike starting Sunday after nationwide negotiations to renew an expired labor contract hit a standstill Saturday night. 

According to an article in the Huffington Post, Verizon is asking those affected to agree to more than 100 concessions pertaining to employee health care, pensions and work rules. 

Members of IBEW Local 2323 made their way around the state of Rhode Island this week. On Monday, dozens of employees gathered outside the Tower Hill Road store in North Kingstown.

"One of the primary issues is the ability of the company to send jobs overseas," said longtime RI Verizon employee Tom Plunkett. "We're dead-set against that," he said, adding more than 300 Rhode Islanders could lose their jobs to someone overseas if Verizon's stipulations are met.

According to Plunkett, he and other members of I.B.E.W. will continue to protest Verizon's contractual stipulations until both sides are amenable.

Customers may experience longer hold times and wait times for repairs during the strike, but Verizon hasn't seen significant impact, Verizon spokesman Lee Gierczynski said.

"We're going to continue to negotiate with the union until we can get a contract that balances all the priorities," he said.