Here are just a few of the concessions the new Verizon CEO, Lowell McAdam, is insisting upon:
— More power to contract out and offshore jobs to add to the 25,000 already in that category; thereby undermining job security.
— a freeze on pensions;
— elimination of the sickness and death benefit program;
— reduction in sick days; and
— a major increase in employee contributions to and deductibles under their health insurance coverage.
Short answer: Fuck no, they’re not telling the truth.
A victory by Verizon would send a powerful message of encouragement to every other unionized employer seeking “contract relief,’’ based on balance sheets far less impressive than Verizon’s. In the majority of workplaces, where pay, benefits, and personnel policies can be changed unilaterally by management - without any prior discussion with affected employees - non-union employers would be similarly emboldened to lower their employment standards. On the other hand, if widespread labor and community support helps Verizon strikers maintain a model contract, all Massachusetts workers would have something to celebrate on Labor Day, for the first time in a long while. (Read More.)
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Monday dismissed the net neutrality lawsuits brought against the FCC by Verizon and MetroPCS, ruling that the order cannot be challenged until it appears in the Federal Register.
The FCC has not yet published its Open Internet Order in the Federal Register, which effectively delays any other potential court challenges.
But the setback did not seem to faze Verizon.
Court dismisses [Verizon/MetroPCS] net neutrality lawsuits
Meanwhile, the President has threatened to veto legislation the GOP is threatening to bring against net neutrality.
Verizon iPhone 4 Details
- Available Feb 10th
- $199.99 for 16 GB
- $299.99 for 32 GB
- CDMA, EVDO network support, no LTE at this time.
- On Feb 3, existing Verizon customers can preorder the iPhone.
- On Feb 10, everyone can order the device.
(via selva)
Google and Verizon made their announcement after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ended closed-door talks with service providers and internet companies to find a consensus on the principle of net neutrality.
The FCC is trying to navigate what it has called a “third way” to resolve the issue after its authority was called into question when a court ruled it had no power to sanction Comcast for slowing some net traffic…
Protestor Christine Springer criticised the lack of leadership coming from the agency.
“The FCC is sitting on their hands. They are hoping nobody will notice but unless we make a lot of noise the corporate giants will prevail. The job of the FCC is to regulate not negotiate with giant corporations.”
How the Google/Verizon proposal could kill the internet in 5 years (via azspot)
Google and Verizon just jointly announced a proposed policy framework for net neutrality, and it’s worse than we expected.
The Google-Verizon plan would end the Internet as we know it. Right now there is only one Internet that treats everybody and all content equally. But the proposal would change all of that. And insidiously, it would effectively dismantle net neutrality while claiming to protect it.
Still, the fact of the matter is that it’s not Google’s place to write regulations — that’s the job of the FCC, which has failed to act quickly to protect American consumers.
Tell the FCC to stop delaying and enact strong net neutrality provisions ASAP.
Tell the FCC: It’s up to you, not Google and Verizon, to regulate the Internet
Google’s motto is “Don’t be evil,” but Google is about to cut a deal with Verizon that would end the Internet as we know it.
According to a front-page New York Times story, the deal would allow “Verizon to speed some online content to Internet users more quickly if the content’s creators are willing to pay for the privilege.”
It would create fast Internet lanes for the largest corporations and slow lanes for the rest of us.
