IBEW union local covering Verizon’s N.J. territory informally urg...
IBEW union local covering Verizon’s N.J. territory informally urged N.J. Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to keep close eye on Verizon service quality in coming months, saying Dec. layoffs would impair customer service. Officials of IBEW Local 827 met…
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with BPU Comr. Frederick Butler and told him layoffs meant already problem Verizon service quality was likely to get worse and BPU must be especially vigilant. Verizon in Dec. laid off 378 IBEW members in N.J. as part of systemwide cutback of 3,500 jobs, most of them in its mid- Atlantic states. Meeting is latest step in union PR campaign aimed at N.J. consumers, lawmakers and regulators. Verizon has said its layoffs shouldn’t affect service quality, said some employees had engaged in work slowdowns and suggested spate of outside-plant vandalism incidents in N.J. since Dec. 18 layoffs could be work of disgruntled employees. Although BPU could examine staffing levels if it saw problem that could affect service, it has shown no inclination to date to become involved in Verizon’s labor dispute.