As a business owner and longtime Verizon customer in New Jersey, I am concerned my service and business may be affected if striking Verizon employees do not get back to work soon.
Verizon has always provided me with excellent service and customer care, which is why I have remained loyal to the company for so long. My business cannot function without access to 21st-century communications services, and this work stoppage puts my service as well as thousands of other small businesses in the area at risk.
I understand that contract negotiations can be frustrating and often cause tempers to flare, but walking off the job and away from the negotiating table is never the answer. I completely support employees fighting for a fair wage, but choosing to strike does not create leverage for employees — it puts good jobs and local businesses in jeopardy.
The opportunity to sit down with your employer and negotiate your wage is a unique opportunity that most Americans do not have, and while disrupting service does make Verizon look bad, leaving the table and creating problems for millions also reflects poorly on the unions.
I want to be clear, I fully support the unions continuing to negotiate with Verizon for their deserved contracts, but they should be working in good faith during this time.
Toby Stark
Tinton Falls