Verizon employees hopeful about renewed talks

Thirty-two days and Verizon workers are still on strike. Monday 100 workers showed up outside Verizon’s Salisbury call center. Union representatives said the turnout was the largest the city has seen thus far.

According to those with the union, their plea is simple.

“We’re not asking for more money, you know we’re out to keep what we have,” said Matt Smith.

Workers walked off the job April 13 over health care issues and allegations that the corporate giant is outsourcing jobs among other things.

Verizon employees have been working without a contract since August of last year.

However, a meeting Sunday in D.C. led to a restart in contract negotiations. Meanwhile a meeting scheduled for Tuesday could possibly mean an end to all of this.

“We’re hopeful based on the conversation that took place yesterday that the company will come to the table and we’ll get to the resolution for this,” said Ed Mooney international vice president for district 213 of the communications workers of america. Mooney said he’s been traveling the district all weekend to keep morale up.

He’ll be in DC Tuesday with his stance on the matter.

“We’re not going to let this company take our members down and their standard of living by threatening them with their healthcare or loss of finances or anything else.” Mooney said

Close to 35 employees have dropped their picket signs in favor of taking their old jobs back since the start of the strike.

Workers said they won’t forget who gave up on the cause, one person even wearing a shirt full of names to remind people of who crossed the line.

Local union vice president Justin Tapia said he doesn’t know exact reasons why those workers gave up the fight, however he said help would have been available had they just asked.

“At the end of the day if they reach out we have support. We have other locals that can generate money, flow it through the local to bring to our membership to be able to give them an opportunity to stay out here with us and fight with their brothers and sisters,” Tapia said.

Union representatives tell 47 ABC that they’ll continue to strike until they get a fair contract and that they have the resources to keep up the fight.