‘Their Greed Has No End’: Bernie Sanders Makes a Surprise Appearance in Manhattan
http://observer.com/2015/10/their-greed-has-no-end-bernie-sanders-makes-a-surprise-appearance-in-manhattan/
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont made a surprise appearance in Manhattan today on behalf of unionized communications workers, telling the crowd that Verizon, the company they are bargaining with for a new contract, has a greed that knows no end.
All over this country, Verizon is a metaphor. Youve got corporate America making huge profits. Their CEOs get huge compensation packages and then with all of their money, what they do is they hire lawyers in order to make it harder for workers to survive in this country, Mr. Sanders said outside a Verizon store in Midtown. What these companies do is use their power to cut wages, to cut healthcare benefits, to cut pensions.
What this campaign for president is about is saying to corporate America: you cannot get it all, Mr. Sanders, a presidential candidate in the Democratic primary, added. We want them to pay their workers a decent wage.
The communications giant has come under fire from the Communications Workers of America for dismissing a Verizon employee in Brooklyn named Bianca Cunningham. Ms. Cunningham, who attended todays rally and spoke before Mr. Sanders, is a union representative with CWA who, the union says, was fired for trying to help an intimidated worker. Rich Young, a Verizon spokesman, said the CWA is flat-out wrong and has not targeted Bianca Cunningham or any other employee for their union-related activities. This employees conduct was subject to the same standard as all employees at Verizon.