Verizon Strike is Over

by: Rosi Efthim

Sat Aug 20, 2011 at 01:13:05 PM EDT

We have reached agreement with Verizon on how bargaining will proceed and how it will be restructured. The major issues remain to be discussed, but overall, issues now are focused and narrowed.

Earlier this week there was a large, peaceful protest outside Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam's house in leafy Mendham, to bring middle class workplace issues to the very front door of a CEO whose compensation (from the very profitable Verizon) is in the millions.

Verizon engaged in a huge public relations campaign to counter the effect of viral strike videos, and picket lines of red-shirted union workers. Newspaper ads. Radio and TV blitz, all about how happy their customers are.

This customer supported the strike (maybe strike-supporting customers didn't occur to Verizon). My cell phone's busted, and I wasn't about to walk it in to Verizon. Now I can.  

Memo to Star-Ledger Editorial Board

by: Rosi Efthim

Mon Aug 15, 2011 at 06:27:05 PM EDT

Yesterday, S-L ran an editorial: Can you hear us now? Knock it off. It says, among other things, that striking union members are:

... childish ...
... militant ...
... irresponsible ...
... knuckleheads ...

Our Ledger friends ask whether the good people of New Jersey will even want Verizon workers in their houses ever again after witnessing them in the act of striking. Witnessing what? S-L reports the FBI is investigating 90 acts of 'sabotage'. That's 90 'incidents' over 9 days of striking, in states from Massachusetts to Virginia, with 45,000 people out on strike. Really?

Strikes are a challenging business for both sides as S-L notes in their first paragraph (then promptly forgets). Their story deals only with striker behavior. And they have to pull from the entire Eastern Seabord for alleged stories of BB guns, blocked trucks, and cut cables. They, like many right-wing websites, are particularly scandalized by a worker "using his young daughter as a roadblock for Verizon trucks". I thought you should see that video. Does she look scared to you? Maybe she knows the well-financed PR assault her Daddy's up against.

What about what may be bad actions of scabs? Did S-L even consider the longstanding union-busting tradition of management sabotaging equipment so that striking workers are blamed? No. (Let alone snafus like managers rusty at dangerous 'hands-on' work [apparently] doing stuff like blowing transformers).

A few things for S-L to consider:

$258 million: compensation for Verizon's top 5 execs over the past 4 years
$6 billion: Verizon's annualized profits for 2011
$6,800: increased health care costs to each worker if Verizon wins

This isn't about getting rich off this company. Top Verizon execs have that covered. It's about retaining living wage jobs; that's what unions are supposed to do. The company's asking for about 100 give-backs including freezing pensions, cutting paid holidays, and exporting jobs to foreign companies.

Where's Star-Ledger's outrage at that? The people on strike are the people who built Verizon, literally. Verizon's claiming their back's against the wall because the market's transitioning from land-lines to wireless. Investment experts say even if Verizon succeeds in cutting worker benefits there's no guarantee it will stop their market share loss in landline. And the union makes the case its workers helped build Verizon's highly-profitable wireless side, which is not unionized. So why not support workers earning a living wage, and trying to keep their jobs in America?

So, difficult as strikes are - we get that, S-L - maybe you've overplayed the inconvenience to this company its workers built, that wants to shave worker benefits to rake in even more money. And maybe you haven't noticed many of its customers support the strike.

Jump for a video on the strike from the workers' side:  

Verizon: Avoiding Taxes, Squeezing Workers, Raking it In

by: The Electrical Worker

Wed Aug 10, 2011 at 09:55:30 AM EDT

S2664, Verizon's anti-consumer telecom bill - on hold

by: Rosi Efthim

Mon Mar 21, 2011 at 02:50:31 PM EDT

There's been a howl of protest against this bill and its Assembly companion over the last few weeks, particularly following a combined efforts watchdog report from New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP) and Demos that found the bill would result in hikes in the average phone bill, the elimination of key consumer protections.

Sen. Weinberg told Blue Jersey this morning that her offices were blitzed with calls on this bill - encouraged by the coalition led by NJ Citizen Action (NJCA) and AARP- urging a NO vote. The NJ League of Municipalities has also been messaging mayors to oppose the bill. Sen. Weinberg also told us that she got calls from the pro-S2664 forces, a Grover Norquist group that seemed to confuse their own members about the bill.

Quite a few NJ newspapers have had no trouble seeing through the haze:

The Phones Didn't Stop Ringing.....

by: Senator Loretta Weinberg

Mon Mar 21, 2011 at 09:00:00 AM EDT

Not to be outdone, a group called "6o Plus Association" which, is actually Grover Norlquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform,  contacted seniors with a message: Call your Senator and tell them to vote "Yes" on S2664 to create jobs in New Jersey. Many more hundred phone calls came in from folks who generally were a bit confused about why they were calling. The robo call told them this was a "job creation" bill. When staff engaged these folks, there was no doubt that those who made the earlier AARP generally knew why they were calling.  The Norquist inspired callers were a little misled. What a surprise!

I also managed to attend some meetings with a couple of lobby groups from both sides of the issue. more below

Verizon: never stops working you over

by: john atlas

Tue Mar 15, 2011 at 05:57:40 PM EDT

This morning I got an email from New Jersey Citizen Action warning me about a change in the law that could dramatically increase my phone and cable services bill and my taxes. The email screamed, WE MUST STOP THE SENATE from passing the so called, "Market Competition and Consumer Choice Act" known as S2664/A3766!

Apparently the governor and our legislators, kowtowing to big corporate giants like Verizon, want to "deregulate." That got my attention because we all know what happened when we deregulated the banks and Wall Street.
Politicians love to attack big government. But what about big business, which is corrupting our political system at the expense of the rest of us?

NJCA has been working hard to stop this bill from passing. It looks like you should too, especially if you, or your Mom, Dad, Grandfather or Grandmother are one of the 1.3 million residents who for decades use that phone on the kitchen wall and are on a fixed and low income. Their basic phone service is their only link to the outside world.

Without these lifelines, they can't call a doctor in an emergency, the pharmacy or loved ones. S2664's proponents want the public to believe that if a 75 year old grandmother loses this service or can no longer afford it because the rates have skyrocketed, the onus should be on her to shop the market-which likely doesn't exist for this service-or pay a higher unaffordable rate that will require her to sacrifice other necessities like food, medicine, heat and/or electricity.

After the jump: How to get involved

Breaking news: Purchase Verizon stock!

by: Thurman Hart

Tue Oct 28, 2008 at 03:46:14 PM EDT

Verizon Communications today won approval for $20 million in state tax breaks in return for promising to keep more than 700 employees in an office tower near Newark's Broad Street Station.

Verizon, which Monday reported a 31 percent increase in profits, is the first firm to cash in on a lucrative urban tax break Gov. Jon Corzine pushed through the state Legislature in late January.

This is insane, for a number of reasons.  Make the jump.

Joe P. to Verizon: Can You Hear Me Now?

by: Juan Melli

Sat Feb 16, 2008 at 01:51:16 AM EST

State Senator Joe Pennachio thinks the government should be able to spy on you for no reason. He also thinks the telecom companies who helped the Bush administration illegally spy on its own citizens should get a get out of jail free card. But he goes a step further. He actually thinks they should be encouraged to continue breaking the law.

Private citizens must be encouraged to lend their assistance, not punished with lawsuits by the ACLU.

Real Jersey Joe's don't display an elitist disdain for the Constitution and the rule of law. They like the government to keep us safe while minding its own business.

And this clown thinks he can protect us from terrorists? Or is he offering to spare us the pain and cut out the middle man? Who needs terrorists to undermine our democracy when Jersey "pants-piddler" Joe will do it for them?

Can you see me now? Verizon gets Cable Access

by: Jason Springer

Fri Aug 04, 2006 at 10:54:39 PM EDT

With an eye on ensuring apartments and multi-family units aren't skipped, Corzine also issued an executive order that directs state regulators to adopt rules that make sure the state can better monitor the network's construction and puts the Department of the Public Advocate in charge of enforcing parts of the new law.

some legislators from South Jersey are worried telecoms will ignore their region because they are not required to offer service unless an area meets a high population density standard, something cable competitor Cablevision also says is unfair.

Letter from Governor Corzine on Net Neutrality

by: RedBankTom

Thu Jul 27, 2006 at 08:00:46 AM EDT

“From Gov. Corzine
Dear Mr. L******
Thank you for contacting my office regarding Verizon’s plan to restrict internet access for New Jersey residents.  I appreciate hearing your thoughts on this issue.

Due to the federal nature of your correspondence, members of New Jersey’s Congressional Delegation are the appropriate officials to address your concerns.  At this time I would recommend that you contact your representatives and make them aware of your thoughts on this issue.”

I will be writing back to the Governor hoping to convince him that Net Neutrality is of great concern to New Jersey residents and that we should not wait for the federal government to act on our behalf.

I am asking the Governor to use his conditional veto powers to ask the State Legislature to revise the state wide franchise bill to include Net Neutrality provisions.  Many other states are taking the Net Neutrality issue and making it local, you can read about other state’s efforts here: Net Neutrality fight moves to states

NJ's Local newspapers are calling on the Governor to use his conditional veto powers to push for changes to this bill regarding coverage and tax issues.  I am encouraging my fellow residents to ask the Governor to ask for provisions in the bill that would require state wide cable franchise applicants to guarantee that they will uphold the tenets of Net Neutrality.

Please join me by writing the Governor and telling him that you are concerned about Verizon’s plans for the future of the internet.

You can contact the Governor using this web page: http://www.state.nj.us/governor/govmail.html

Thanks -- Tom

Updates on NJ state wide cable TV?

by: RedBankTom

Thu Jul 20, 2006 at 05:41:55 PM EDT

I and others have encouraged the Governor to consider the telecommunication’s industry plans for the future of the internet as he decides whether or not to sign the bill into law.

While cable TV competition is good for NJ cable consumers, the Telco’s Anti-Net Neutrality plans are anti-competition and could have a much more lasting impact on NJ consumers than cable TV competition.

If anyone has more information on the Governor’s plans regarding this legislation please drop me an e-mail at tom @ redbanktv.org

http://www.redbanktv.org

News Roundup for Thursday July 20, 2006 and Open Thread

by: Hopeful

Thu Jul 20, 2006 at 08:30:38 AM EDT

Verizon CEO Tells Corzine What To Do

by: RedBankTom

Tue Jun 20, 2006 at 07:58:43 AM EDT

Aside from being smug enough to read the mind of the Governor, Verizon has spent millions of dollars on what the Asbury Park Press calls “a long, expensive lobbying campaign that featured advertising, phone banks and many other trappings of elective politics.”

The cable franchise legislation that passed has no Network Neutrality wording in it.  Verizon’s NJ cable TV franchise will be delivered to consumers over their high speed FiOS internet connection; thus it is appropriate to talk about Net Neutrality as part of NJ’s cable franchise discussion.

Cable competition is only one form of competition in NJ’s high speed internet connection boom.  Not only do we want competition for cable TV service but we want to ensure that internet competition is not hindered on those very same wires.

If competition and keeping the internet a level playing field is important to you than I urge you to contact Governor Cozine and ask him to raise the issue of Net Neutrality prior to signing this legislation into law.  Contact the Governor

Another contact within our state government is the Department of the Public Advocate.  Public Advocate Home

More details can be found on my blog: RedBankTV

-- Tom

Verizon's ironic press release

by: RedBankTom

Thu Jun 15, 2006 at 05:41:12 PM EDT

Surly I’m not the only one who sees the irony in this.  Verizon, and all the telcos for that matter, want to have their cake and eat it too and they are none too embarrassed to say so in public.

A Taste Of Their Own Medicine
Verizon says: An ad published yesterday in the Asbury Park Press, as well as radio ads being broadcast on WKXW-FM and other radio stations around the state, use scare-tactics and distortions to lobby for legislation that would protect Cablevision's cable-TV monopoly.
In an apparent effort to cloak Cablevision's involvement, the ads note
that the sponsor is CSC Holdings. However, CSC Holdings is the operator of Cablevision Systems Inc.

Verizon and the telcos are the kings of Astroturf, that is “cloaking” their involvement with ads or faxes, and they have the gal to call out a competitor for using the same tactics.

Hello, Can you hear yourself now?
The presser continues: "It's time for Cablevision to step aside and allow true competition flourish in New Jersey," said Dennis Bone, president of Verizon New Jersey.

This could easily be re-written: "It's time for Verizon to step aside and allow true competition flourish in New Jersey,"
Verizon’s plans for the internet are anti-competition and anti-consumer.

They continue: "The consumers throughout the state have clearly spoken: They want choice and competition, and they want it now," said Bone.
Yes! Yes we want choice and competition.  We want the choice to invest in municipal Wi-Fi if we choose, we want the choice to have A La Carte Cable service and we most definitely want the choice to use our fiber broadband connections any way we want.

What do we want?
More from the press release:  In May, both the state Senate and Assembly overwhelmingly approved legislation that will streamline New Jersey's antiquated, anti-consumer video franchise rules. In a procedural move, the Senate is required to vote again, and that vote could come next week. “We encourage members of the Legislature and the governor to focus on the many benefits of the video franchise legislation," said Bone. "With it, New Jerseyans all over the state will soon benefit from cable choice and competition.”

To the Senate members and Governor Corzine I say follow Verizon’s advice and voice your concerns over competition.  Voice you concerns about Network Neutrality and how it is bad for competition in New Jersey.  This issue needs to be addressed and New Jersey is the best place to address it.

NJ House Delegation Sells Out the Internet

by: Juan Melli

Fri Jun 09, 2006 at 10:12:04 AM EDT

Only Congressmen Holt and Payne voted against the final bill. Andrews, LoBiondo, Saxton, Smith, Garrett, Pallone, Ferguson, Pascrell, Rothman and Frelinghuysen all voted for it. No doubt Verizon put a good deal of pressure on all of them. To be fair, all Democrats voted for amending the bill with a provision to preserve net neutrality. Unfortunately, their vote for the final bill, which did not include that protection, has the effect of scrapping net neutrality. That's really not an excuse, because the bill itself was crap to begin with.

Although the bill does allow for municipal broadband, it's also a giveaway to the telecom industry. Although it would create a national franchise to make it easier for telephone companies to compete with cable, it doesn't contain any "build-out" requirements, which will leave rural and low-income customers in the dark. The bill would also turn over consumer protection enforcement from local and state entities to the FCC, which not only is incapable of handling all the complaints, but also won't be able to offer consumers refunds for problems they experience. On top of all this (and more), there is no net neutrality provision.

The only chance now is in the Senate. Contact Senators Frank Lautenberg (202) 224-3224 and Bob Menendez (202) 224-4744 and let them know that you want them to vote to preserve the internet and support net neutrality.

Fed. Net Neutrality amendment defeated – COPE Act moves forward

by: RedBankTom

Fri Jun 09, 2006 at 07:29:03 AM EDT

In other words our own, yet to be signed into law, state-wide cable TV franchise legislation will soon be obsolete.  This is all the more reason for Governor Corzine to press Verzion on Net Neutrality before signing New Jersey’s legislation into law.  If our own legislation will soon be trumped by federal legislation then I say there is no risk in holding up the signing due to Net Neutrality concerns.

Governor Corzine has a chance to show that New Jersey is a technology leader and that we know that Verizon’s plans for the future of the internet are bad.

I am asking Governor Corzine to hold up the signing into law of the state-wide cable franchise legislation till he is satisfied with Verizon’s plans for the future of the internet. 

Please help me get the message to Governor Corzine that he should hold Verizon’s feet to the fire on Net Neutrality prior to singing the legislation into law.

Gov. Corzines’s Chance to Save the Internet

by: RedBankTom

Wed Jun 07, 2006 at 05:14:56 PM EDT

I have written the following letter to Governor Corzine and I am trying to make him aware of the issue.  I need help getting the word out; please write to the Governor and tell him that you want him to help Save the Internet.

- Start Letter Text -

Dear Governor Corzine, as a software engineer and avid technologist, I am deeply concerned about Verizon's intentions to restrict internet access for New Jersey residents.  Verizon wishes to be the de facto gatekeeper on the internet, determining which content travels at what speed for the portion of its journey that travels over Verizon's wires.  Verizon's plans violate the tenets of Network Neutrality that have fueled growth and enabled healthy competition on the internet.  I fear that their plans will limit the choices for New Jersey internet users and could put New Jersey businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

Since Verizon also plans to use the internet connections they provide to also offer cable television service, it is appropriate that their plans for both internet access and cable access be considered before passing new statewide cable TV legislation.  I am asking you to ask Verizon clear-cut questions about their business roadmap for offering internet access to their customer base, and whether their plans include limiting internet access based on the type of content delivered, or based on relationships they have with certain content providers.  For the sake of New Jersey's online businesses and consumers alike, please consider how Verizon's actions may negatively impact the obvious advantages of the present free market, before signing new cable TV legislation into law.

Sincerely yours,
Tom L******* ( last name withheld on this post )
tom@redbanktv dot org

- End Letter Text -

Thanks for reading, please help get the word out and feel free to stop by the blog at: Red Bank TV

-- Tom

Verizon Network Down?

by: Juan Melli

Tue May 30, 2006 at 09:08:27 PM EDT

Net Neutrality activity in Congress today

by: RedBankTom

Thu May 25, 2006 at 10:39:35 AM EDT

I feel that we should push Gov. Corzine and the State BPU to raise the Net Neutrality question when it comes time to approve Verizon's state-wide cable TV franchise.

- Tom - http://www.redbanktv.org

Tim's e-mail follows:

Tim Karr of Free Press and the SavetheInternet Coalition here. A
critical vote is going down in Congress right now and we need you and your
readers to get phones ringing off the hook on Capitol Hill.

The House Judiciary Committee is beginning to "mark up" a good Net
Neutrality bill at around 11am (EST) this morning. Then they're going to
vote on whether to bring it to the full floor. Many in the Committee are
being pressured by AT&T, Verizon and other major telcos to vote down
the net neutrality provisions in this bipartisan bill.

Below are the members who need to hear from you and your readers to
support this important bill. Urge them to support the
Sensenbrenner-Conyers "Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006" (HR 5417) in the
Judiciary Committee -- and to support it without amendment. (Saying
without amendment is key as the telcos want to re-write it in a way that
guts Internet freedom).

Here are the members who need to hear from you and your readers right
now:

Marty Meehan (D-Mass. 5th)
Phone: (202) 225-3411
Fax: (202) 226-0771
http://www.house.gov/writerep
martin.meehan@mail.house.gov

Howard Berman (D-Calif. 28th)
Phone: 202-225-4695
Fax: 202-225-3196
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

William Delahunt (D-Mass. 10th)
Phone: (202) 225-3111
Fax: (202) 225-5658
William.Delahunt@mail.house.gov

Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas 18th)
Phone: (202) 225-3816
Fax: (202) 225-3317
http://www.jacksonlee.house.gov/feedback.cfm?campaign=jacksonlee&type=Let%27s%20Talk

Bobby Scott (D-Va. 3rd)
Phone: (202) 225-8351
Fax: (202) 225-8354
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Chris Van Hollen (D-Md. 8th)
Phone: (202) 225-5341
Fax: (202) 225-0375
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Maxine Waters (D-Calif. 35th)
Phone: (202) 225-2201
Fax: (202) 225-7854
http://www.house.gov/waters/IMA/issue.htm

Mel Watt (D-N.C. 12th)
Tel. (202) 225-1510
Fax (202) 225-1512
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y. 9th)
Phone: (202) 225-6616
Fax: (202) 226-7253
weiner@mail.house.gov

Robert Wexler (D-Fla. 19th)
phone: (202) 225-3001
fax: (202) 225-5974
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Howard Coble (R-NC 6th)
phone: (202) 225-3065
fax: (202) 225-8611
howard.coble@mail.house.gov

Elton Gallegly (R-CA 24th)
phone: (202) 225-5811
fax: (202) 225-1100
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Bob Goodlatte (R-VA 6th)
phone: (202) 225-5431
fax: (202) 225-9681
http://www.house.gov/goodlatte/emailbob.htm

Steve Chabot (R-OH 5th)
phone: (202) 225-2216
fax: (202) 225-3012 (fax)
http://www.house.gov/chabot/email.html

Dan Lungren (R-CA 3rd)
phone: (202) 225-5716
fax: (202) 226-1298
http://www.house.gov/lungren/feedback.shtml

William Jenkins (R-TN 1st)
phone: (202) 225-6356
fax: (202) 225-5714
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

John Hostettler (R-IN 8th)
phone: (202) 225-4636
fax: (202) 225-3284
john.hostettler@mail.house.gov

Mark Green (R-WI 8th)
phone: (202) 225-5665
fax: (202) 225-5729
mark.green@mail.house.gov

Ric Keller (R-FL 8th)
phone: (202) 225-2176
fax: (202) 225-0999
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

Your help on this is critical. Please call now.

Thank you,

Tim Karr
Campaign Director
Free Press
SavetheInternet.com

Verizon and Net Neutrality - Call to Action NJ

by: RedBankTom

Mon May 22, 2006 at 05:42:56 PM EDT

Now is the time for New Jersey residents to take a stand for keeping the internet a level playing field.  Verizon, with its deep pockets, has managed to push legislation through the Assembly that now allows them to apply for a state wide cable TV franchise.  We have a period of 45 days from the time that this law is signed into office till the State Board of Public Utilities approves Verizon’s franchise.  We must pull out all stops to tie Network Neutrality to Verizon’s application for a cable TV franchise.

While the Net Neutrality fight in Congress gets all of the attention the real fight has landed on our doorsteps.  We can not rely on federal legislation; Verizon’s lobbyist pockets are too deep, I don’t want to wait and see what the outcome is there.  No, the fight for Net Neutrality just landed here in New Jersey and we have a month and a half to take a stand.