Occupy Wall Street, CWA, & Verizon: The 99% Demands Justice!

Occupy Wall Street, the movement of street protests demanding accountability from our government and the elimination of corporate greed that is destroying the middle class, has now spread from one protest in Lower Manhattan to over 100 cities in the United States and more than 1,500 cities worldwide.

CWA endorsed the protests three weeks ago, along with the Transport Workers' Union, the United Federation of Teachers, and the AFL-CIO. Occupy Wall Street is a crucial movement for middle class Americans who have been knocked down by the greed of Wall Street and its government friends. Verizon is a perfect example of the corporate interests that squeeze all they can from American workers and consumers and then take advatage of loopholes to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

CWA Verizon workers participated in the Occupy Wall Street protests this week to talk about their fight with management for a fair contract. After meeting at Verizon's NYC headquarters, at 140 West Street, a sea of red marched down to Zuccotti Park, where the Occupiers are camping out, and then continued to a nearby Verizon Wireless store, all the while chanting, "We are the 99%!" Twenty workers then set up air mattresses and sleeping bags in Zuccotti Park:

Jim & Donato, CWA Local 1109

CWA workers are joning forces with Occupy Wall Street in other cities too. Check out this video of Verizon Workers marching with Occupy Buffalo.

Back in New Jersey, locals are leafletting outside Verizon Wireless stores every week. Even though Verizon workers are back at work, they have not stopped mobilizing and need your support! Bargaining sessions have been very difficult, as the company is refusing to make real, workable proposals and are instead demanding to freeze pensions for current employees and the elimination of pensions for new employees, as well as rollbacks on healthcare, job protection agreements, and sick time and disability benefits. Click here to see what’s at stake for Verizon workers, and click here for recent media coverage of Verizon workers’ struggle for a fair contract.