As SHS students tweeted and texted away the end of their summer, Verizon workers servicing those phone lines grew increasingly agitated. Not agitated with the incredible amount of times “Irene” was mentioned in a tweet, but rather with a rapid loss of communication between unions and their company following massive cuts to Verizon’s budget.

Approximately 45,000 workers representing two national telephone unions led a strike on their employer, Verizon Wireless, for nearly two weeks. Although the workers later agreed to return to work, they did so without any sort of an effective agreement.

The unionized members initially decided to strike because a large number of concessions in contractual agreements. Among the more contentious issues, Verizon removed a number of paid holidays, eliminated some pension agreements, shifted to a performance-based salary system, and stopped providing some funds to their employees’ health care premiums. Verizon fiercely argued claims that they had evaded a number of federal and state taxes in an online letter addressed to the AFL-CIO.

Talks between the unions and the company continued for two weeks as violence arose between the strikers and their replacement workers. The Buffalo News reported that “Two Verizon workers picketing the company’s Amherst location … say they were struck by a vehicle crossing the picket line.” In response to a growing number of claims, Verizon asked protesters to ensure that the relationship between the unions and the company “does not escalate into violence or destructive behavior”.

As it stands now, Verizon workers are on the clock, reassured that management is cooperating with its Union negotiators. The view of the company from SHS students was generally negative, however; senior Caitlyn O’Hara states “I left Verizon because they were incompetent. They judged me when I asked for help with my phone.”

Senior Emily Moxie said about unions in general, “I don’t hate them per se, but unions tend to blow things out of proportion.”

Accusations that Verizon evaded federal and state taxes fired up not only workers (who now believe the company was holding back money from them), but also political activists who now view Verizon as one of many companies allowed to commit tax evasion in light of a terrible national debt.

It is unsure how exactly the situation will resolve, but is it certain that labor relations need to improve in order to benefit employees, inspire profits, and create a better workplace environment for some very angry workers.