IBEW Local 2222 Members Adopt Tear Down the Wall Resolution to Expand Organizing Rights at Verizon

Hundreds of telecom workers voted unanimously at IBEW Local 2222's regular membership meeting on Wednesday, June 2 to support a grassroots campaign to make "tearing down the artificial wall separating the non-union Verizon wireless from the mostly union wireline side of the business" a top priority in negotiations for their next contract in 2011.

The resolution was advanced on the floor of the membership meeting by two leaders of the local's new "Futures Committee," which was established to develop new leadership at Local 2222 and within the larger labor movement.

"This is about all of our future as employees of Verizon," Pat Atwell told members. "Verizon is rapidly moving into the high growth, high profit areas of the telecommunications industry. But as they do so, top management is intent on leaving us – the union workers who built this company – behind.

"We can't let that happen," he continued. "Not if we want a future in this company for us, our children and our communities." Atwell, a Verizon FiOS splice service technician, works out of the out of company's Woburn garage.

Chris Morgan, a Verizon lineman out of the South Boston garage seconded the resolution. "Five years ago union membership at Verizon was about 70 percent of the company. Today we are less than 30 percent. Nothing is more important than reaching out to Verizon Wireless employees regarding the benefits of collective bargaining. We need to educate them and build unity in our company to achieve a strong voice for the good jobs that our communities need."

A similar resolution was also adopted by CWA Local 1400 at its May executive board meeting in Portsmouth, NH.

Local union leaders hope that the "Tear Down the Wall" resolution will spread to other telecom locals in both the IBEW and the CWA.

Copies of the resolution are available on request by contacting IBEW Local 2222 at (617) 929-6000 or on our website at www.ibew2222.org