March 22 Verizon Day Of Action!

On March 22, workers from the Communication Workers of America [1] and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers [2] will be joined by thousands of supporters to rally around the country to stand up to corporate greed, and in support of good jobs for the 99%. The rally will also support the U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act that I have been writing about. This is a chance to stand up against Verizon's fight to destroy unions and middle class America.

Click here to sign up to help out, and for more information [3].

Go to this site and scroll down a bit for event locations [4].

From the site:

MARCH 22: VERIZON DAY OF ACTION

Verizon has made tens of billions in profits and its top executives walked away with $283 million in the last four years. But when it comes to the 45,000 workers who made Verizon's success possible, suddenly the company cries broke.

Verizon has sent thousands of American jobs overseas and wants to outsource even more jobs, gut pensions, charge current and retired employees thousands of dollars more for health benefits, and cut disability benefits for workers injured during their jobs.

On March 22, CWA and IBEW workers and thousands of others will be rallying around the country to support good jobs and the U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act. Join us.

About The Call-Center Bill

The U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act is a bipartisan bill to help fight the offshoring of call-center jobs and protect consumers. This proposed legislation would let the public know which companies are engaging in sending jobs out of the country, let customers ask to use an American call center instead, and ban federal grants or guaranteed loans to American companies that move call center jobs out of the US.

Today many call-center jobs are being moved out of the country, mostly to India and the Philippines. This costs American jobs, and can be very frustrating to consumers who have to speak to people who they cannot understand because of language problems or cultural differences. The U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act gives consumers the right to ask where the person they are speaking with is based, and ask for an American-based representative instead. Among the things this bill would accomplish:

• Require the Department of Labor to publicly list firms that move call center jobs overseas.
• Make these firms ineligible for any direct or indirect federal loans or loan guarantees for five years.
• Require 120 day advance notification of a proposed move off-shore.
• Require call center employees to tell U.S. consumers where they are located, if asked.
• Require that call centers transfer calls to a U.S. call center if asked.

Previously:

March 7: It's Time To Pass The Call-Center Bill [5]

Dec 13: Call-Center Bill Would Let Customers Ask To Talk To Americans [6]

Dec 16: Who Protects Info You Give To Offshored Call Centers? [7]

[8] [9]