Verizon 2016 Strike News Update: Labor Wars Enters Second Month

By Jane Reed | May 16, 2016 04:50 AM EDT

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The battle between the labor union versus Verizon still continues. The strike consisting of more than 40,000 Verizon employees is entering its second month and the dialogue has still not ended. The Verizon 2016 strike that started on Apr. 13, 2016 concerns not only the telecommunications industry but the labor market of United States as well because of the slowly increasing claims for unemployment, which JobsNHire recently reported.

Verizon has been accused of moving their business offshore and the New York Times has it that it's an epochal battle as to whether the company can tolerate good jobs that actually deliver economic security and decent benefits.

The Verizon workers purposely walked out on April 13 as a symbol of protest against the telecommunications company. The Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has been working on contract negotiations for several months with Verizon, to no positive results. The two labor unions are also fighting on the decision on cutting back health benefits of its employees, JacobinMag reports. It has been a long fight for the workers and its draining every bit of energy the union has. That's because the stakes are high. It's not only health benefits that's on the line, unemployment could be imminent for those who walked out.

If this lengthy Verizon 2016 strike continues, the workers will not only be tested for their patience and perseverance. It's also a major test of whether relatively well-positioned workers can withhold their labor and win.

The line chants "One day longer, one day stronger" as union representatives continue to table concerns and push Verizon for answers. While they're picketing, they're living off of a strike fund (or a solidarity fund).

It is unknown when the Verizon 2016 strike will end but it is clear that the company and union groups need to wrap it up quickly or face a financial burden by the end of the year.

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