State Telecom Activities
Massachusetts would continue to regulate VoIP under an amendment to an economic development bill that originally would have deregulated the service. Union and constituent pressure persuaded the state Senate to rewrite section 62 of SB-2345, killing the deregulatory language, said…
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the sponsor of the change. “Hundreds of concerned citizens and telephone workers made calls to their elected representatives to resist the attempt to de-regulate this new industry,” said Steven Tolman, assistant Senate majority whip. Deregulating VoIP as promoted by Verizon and Comcast would leave customers “without recourse to ensure quality services while threatening the jobs of thousands of telecom workers throughout Massachusetts,” the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers said. IBEW Local 2222 Business Manager Myles Calvey, the chairman of the phone workers T6 Council, which covers Massachusetts and Rhode Island, said, “Verizon must understand that the installation and maintenance of VoIP services is union work from start to finish.” Verizon has been doing the VoIP work with non-union contractors while laying off union workers, the IBEW said.