April 27, 2016
Hoboken, NJ
Verizon’s replacement workers and managers aren’t up to the task, union reps say. See photos and videos of some of the alleged issues here.
What happens when you send managers and replacement workers to hang cables, place poles and operate heavy equipment?
“Safety violations run rampant,” according to union leaders with Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
As a massive worker strike involving almost 40,000 Verizon employees enters its third week, union leaders are alleging that replacement workers are “endangering themselves and the public” due to a lack of proper safety practices.
It’s an accusation that Verizon representatives have staunchly denied. Last week, Verizon spokespeople stated that the company is “well-prepared” to maintain service for however long the strike lasts, which is having “a very minimal impact” on operations.
But union leaders say that line personnel who perform potentially dangerous jobs at Verizon start their careers with an intensive month-long training course, receive specialized instruction for specific tasks, and then work closely with experienced techs for three to five years before they’re properly trained.
“Many hazardous incidents have been documented, and the scope of the safety violations undermines claims by Verizon officials that they can properly maintain service during the strike,” union representatives stated in a Wednesday news release.
“What’s truly frightening is these unsafe practices would become standard practice if Verizon pushed through its plan to outsource work to cut-rate contractors,” said Brendan Haugh, a 20-year Verizon field technician who allegedly witnessed replacement workers commit multiple safety violations in the Bronx, NY. “We’re striking to make sure Verizon has the skilled and experienced staff necessary to serve our customers safely.”
When asked if union leaders’ allegations had any validity, spokesman Raymond McConville released the following statement to Patch on Wednesday:
“This is nothing more than noise from the union that is meant to distract from actual issues that need to be negotiated at the bargaining table. The reality is that our management workforce is doing an admirable job serving our customers during this strike. Since the strike began, we’ve cleared more than 80,000 service issues and our maintenance load isn’t very different than what it was before the strike began. Those are the facts.”
THE ALLEGED VIOLATIONS
Union leaders sent Patch multiple photos that document alleged safety gaffes that have taken place since the strike began. [See above photo gallery]
The alleged incidents included:
Hazardous hanging of cable in North Tonawanda, NY – “Replacement workers failed to control traffic as they hung a phone line across an intersection in the western New York town… Vehicles snagging lines can pull down poles, and especially when those are joint-use poles with power lines it can pose a serious risk of electrocution.”
Unsafe access of a cross-box in the Bronx – “Brendan Haugh witnessed two very poorly trained Verizon office workers unsafely access a small platform next to a cross-box, a unit that houses phone line connections. They failed to check for hazardous voltage, and then one worker climbed to the top step of a step-ladder, which should never be used to access such a platform, and pulled himself up by grabbing at a metal beam. When asked what experience they had, one of the white-collar Verizon staff said he did “I.T. work” in a Tampa office. The other said he was ‘in finance in Atlanta.’”
Hazardous pole placement in Laurens, N.Y. – “Replacement workers violated multiple safety protocols while installing a telephone pole at the side of a public roadway in this small town near Oneonta. They jeopardized the public by failing to follow standard Work Area Protection practices, neglecting to cordon off their vehicle with traffic cones.”
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