John Lindner

John Lindner Verizon Business Technician New York, N.Y. Communications Workers of America and Electrical Workers

John Lindner

John Lindner has worked as a Verizon Business technician in New York for the past seven years. More than a year ago, Lindner and his co-workers started to form a union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) because, as John puts it, “Everything keeps going up in New York—except the salaries.”

Last February, a majority of workers at Verizon Business signed cards indicating their desire to form a union. Those cards were verified by community leaders and elected officials, including five members of Congress. Yet, Verizon refused to recognize the union.

John and the other technicians at Verizon Business want a seat at the table so they can bargain over crucial issues such as wages, health benefits and retirement security.

In fact, they are looking for what their counterparts at Verizon Telecom already have: a union and a voice on the job.

In denying the technicians the freedom to form a union, Verizon has used legal maneuverings to build a wall separating Lindner and the other Verizon Business technicians from the tens of thousands of union-represented technicians at Verizon Telecom—even though both are owned by the same company—Verizon Communications.

“We want to tear down the wall that limits our wages, limits the benefits that help safeguard our health care and retirement security and, equally important, limits access to future jobs for all Verizon workers,” says Lindner.