Wall Street Wins, West Virginia Loses in Proposed Telephone Deal
We have the power to change it.
The Verizon-Frontier Deal puts the fat cats on Wall Street ahead of hard working West Virginians. Now is the time for us to say "No Deal!"
The proposed sale would transfer all of Verizon’s landline telephone operations in West Virginia to Frontier, a small Connecticut based company.
The sale would put $3.3 billion dollars into Verizon’s coffers -- tax free -- and leave Frontier buried in debt.
Similar deals have had disastrous effects for consumers and communities. In New England, Verizon sold its landlines to FairPoint, which is now on the verge of bankruptcy.
West Virginians are concerned. Will Frontier be able to service the state during emergencies? How will Frontier be able to provide broadband service when it lacks the technology and investment to put into it?
We have the power to change the deal.
The West Virginia Public Service Commission will be holding hearings early next year and we need to tell them why this deal raises serious concerns for West Virginians.
Here’s how you can help: Write a letter to Governor Manchin and ask him to send a letter to the Public Service Commission asking them to say "No Deal!"
The Real Deal Blog West Virginia
Gov. Manchin Joins Public Rally Against Sale of Verizon
Campaign activists have been mobilizing for months to build broad public opposition to the proposed sale of Verizon's landlines to Frontier.
Hundreds of members have met with their legislators at the Capitol or attended meetings with their County Commissioners to educate them about the sale. Many others have talked with neighbors and friends, distributed lawn signs and bumper stickers, or gone "online" with an activist campaign to get hundreds of letters opposed to the sale sent to the governor.
Everyone's hard work paid off on Sunday, January 10 at the Culture Center in Charleston when Governor Joe Manchin made a surprise appearance in the middle of the "Stop the Sale" rally!
Gov. Manchin joined CWA President Larry Cohen, CWA District 2 VP Ron Collins, United Mineworkers President Cecil Roberts and many other labor and community leaders on the stage to say that he would do everything in his power to make the proposed deal work for the working families of West Virginia -- not just for the Wall Street bankers. Read More >
Speak out at the Public Service Commission’s public hearing on Tuesday, January 12
Come to the public hearing to show your opposition to the Verizon-Frontier deal. Consumers, seniors and business people are especially needed to testify that if the deal is approved, it will only deepen rural West Virginia's "digital divide" with a small carrier that is financially overextended without the resources to improve service or expand high speed broadband.
The hearing will begin at 9:30 AM on Tuesday, January 12 at the PSC Howard M. Cunningham Hearing Room, 201 Brooks Street, Charleston WV.
The hearing will also be webcast live on the PSC site. Visit http://www.psc.state.wv.us/webcast/default.htm for more details.
Read More >Rally planned for West Virginia
Members of the Communications Workers of America are stepping up the campaign against the proposed sale of telephone lines in West Virginia and 13 states by telecom industry giant Verizon to the much smaller, mostly rural carrier, Frontier Communications.
With the first public hearing in West Virginia set for January 12 in Charleston, the union is organizing a rally two days earlier at the state capitol's Culture Center with hundreds of members and supporters expected to attend.
In addition to CWA President Larry Cohen and V.P. Ron Collins, the rally will feature a firefighter from Vermont who will share the negative experience that first responders have had since the FairPoint deal was approved. Seniors, church leaders and small business are also expected to speak.
For more information download our flyer. Read More >
Experts, Consumer Advocate and Telecom Companies File Testimony Opposing Verizon/Frontier Deal
On Monday, Nov. 16 the proposed deal between Verizon and Frontier ran into major opposition in West Virginia.
The West Virginia Public Service Commission's (PSC) staff, PSC's Consumer Advocate division, the Communications Workers of America and several other state telecommunications companies all submitted testimony opposing the proposed deal. The testimonies highlighted the broad scope and variety of organizations that know this deal is bad for West Virginia. Read More >
CWA Members Take Stop the Sale Message to the WV Legislature
More than 60 union leaders and members from 11 CWA locals traveled to the West Virginia Capitol for the union's second Lobby Day. Teams of CWA members from each local union met with at least 25 legislators over the course of the day. Most of these legislators committed to write letters to the PSC. Seventeen delegates have already sent letters opposing the sale to the PSC. Read More >
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