In the past years, Verizon laid off thousands of workers, including those who worked for the company for years, and did not replace them. For almost a year Verizon has been trying to renegotiate terms with the communications workers of America union. Workers are concerned about their job knowing that it isn’t safe anymore. Employees are without contracts, according to union officials and workers, and as Verizon stands firmly with “corporate greed”, a strike was the only option left. This strike may strike a fuse for other unions to use related maneuvers to get what they want. Depending on the outcome of the strike, it may bring light into bringing back the fire into the labor movement.
111According to Marx, Society is composed of classes and …show more content…
Flax states that, “These same contracts restricted workers’ capacity to protest workplace conditions by banning “wildcat” strikes and job actions, and by establishing a bureaucratic grievance machinery in place of spontaneous on-the-job protest” (41). Verizon stripped employees from their contracts and left them with nothing but job insecurities. This gave union officials and individual workers the chance to retaliate against those in charge. Contracts gave workers a sense of job stability while having the ability to participate in consumerism without having to stress much about losing their place in work. Without having to stress about losing their job, employees will be happy and there wouldn’t be a need for “wildcat” strikes. “These contracts provided substantial guarantees of union members’ ability to participate in the burgeoning consumer society. Heath, pension, vacation, and unemployment benefits added significantly to workers’ security and freedom off the job” (56). Contracts increases worker’s productiveness, and technological developments like “Fios”, which increased workers output(56). Instead of investing money in its workforce, and expanding Fios, Verizon decided to buy back its own stocks to benefit shareholders and increase shareholder value. Fios is a, “state-of-the-art fiber-optic communications network that …show more content…
Surplus is produced through labor and surplus is key element in capitalist economy. Appropriation of the capitalist class is how Marx defines exploitation. Land, factories and machinery are means of production. The landlord or capitalist, controls means of production. This is how exploitation occurs and distinct classes began to be formed. Marx felt struggle between class of producers and non-producers who lived off producers (Jan 24). Being a member of a class doesn’t mean having a consciousness. Within capitalism workers would organize themselves within the system. Once gained consciousness reguarded how exploited they were, Marx had doubts whether the proletariat would even get class consciousness. There was a possibility workers would satisfy themselves with just short-term reform. What are short term reforms to overthrow capitalism? Minimum wage laws, increasing working conditions. Having the right to unionize in exchange for losing the right to strike. Workers would be satisfied in shortcut reform (Jan 24). Around 40,000 Verizon workers walked off their jobs on Wednesday, which made headlines. This hasn’t been done so in about five years and generally speaking, a working-class strike in America does not happen often (cite
111According to Marx, Society is composed of classes and …show more content…
Flax states that, “These same contracts restricted workers’ capacity to protest workplace conditions by banning “wildcat” strikes and job actions, and by establishing a bureaucratic grievance machinery in place of spontaneous on-the-job protest” (41). Verizon stripped employees from their contracts and left them with nothing but job insecurities. This gave union officials and individual workers the chance to retaliate against those in charge. Contracts gave workers a sense of job stability while having the ability to participate in consumerism without having to stress much about losing their place in work. Without having to stress about losing their job, employees will be happy and there wouldn’t be a need for “wildcat” strikes. “These contracts provided substantial guarantees of union members’ ability to participate in the burgeoning consumer society. Heath, pension, vacation, and unemployment benefits added significantly to workers’ security and freedom off the job” (56). Contracts increases worker’s productiveness, and technological developments like “Fios”, which increased workers output(56). Instead of investing money in its workforce, and expanding Fios, Verizon decided to buy back its own stocks to benefit shareholders and increase shareholder value. Fios is a, “state-of-the-art fiber-optic communications network that …show more content…
Surplus is produced through labor and surplus is key element in capitalist economy. Appropriation of the capitalist class is how Marx defines exploitation. Land, factories and machinery are means of production. The landlord or capitalist, controls means of production. This is how exploitation occurs and distinct classes began to be formed. Marx felt struggle between class of producers and non-producers who lived off producers (Jan 24). Being a member of a class doesn’t mean having a consciousness. Within capitalism workers would organize themselves within the system. Once gained consciousness reguarded how exploited they were, Marx had doubts whether the proletariat would even get class consciousness. There was a possibility workers would satisfy themselves with just short-term reform. What are short term reforms to overthrow capitalism? Minimum wage laws, increasing working conditions. Having the right to unionize in exchange for losing the right to strike. Workers would be satisfied in shortcut reform (Jan 24). Around 40,000 Verizon workers walked off their jobs on Wednesday, which made headlines. This hasn’t been done so in about five years and generally speaking, a working-class strike in America does not happen often (cite