UFCW LOCAL 400 STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH STRIKING CWA MEMBERS IN RICHMOND, VA FRIDAY
Can You Hear Us Now?
WHO: United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 400 members, King Salim Khalfani of the VA State Conference NAACP and community leaders.
WHAT: Picket in Solidarity with CWA Local 2201 union members
WHEN: Friday August 19, 2011 at 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Verizon Communications Building, 3011 Hungary Springs Road, Richmond, VA
Richmond,Va.—UFCW Local 400 members from Tyson’s, Boar’s Head, and Kroger will be joined by King Salim Khalfani of the VA State Conference NAACP and other community leaders as they walk the lines in Richmond in Solidarity with CWA Local 2201 union members. The picket will be held at 3011 Hungary Springs Road Richmond VA 23228.
“It’s pertinent that all workers stand together to fight greedy corporations like Verizon, that bully their employees and take back rights that have already been promised,” said Local 400 President Tom McNutt. “Local 400 is proud to support our brothers and sisters today from CWA by picketing with them in Richmond as they fight for a fair contract, a contract that protects middle class jobs that the bullies in corporate America have been trying to wash away since the beginning of this year.”
About 45,000 workers from CWA and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) have been on strike since August 6, 2011 from Massachusetts to Virginia when no agreement was reached with their employer, Verizon Communications. The workers on strike include field technicians, service representatives, operators and other support personnel. CWA says that Verizon wants over 100 concessions, which include workers losing sick days, paid vacation time, holidays, deep cuts to active employee and retiree healthcare as well as pensions. Meanwhile, Verizon has generated $6 billion in profits while paying top executives $258 million in the past four years. Verizon Wireless is non-union while Verizon Communications is the unionized landline branch of the company.
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The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 represents more than 35,000 workers from police officers to grocery clerks and nurses to meatpackers. Local 400 strives to help workers obtain and hold onto better paychecks, job security, decent fringe benefits and justice on the job. Local 400 attains these goals through the support, unity, and involvement of members, the community and political involvement. 400.ufcw.org.