Verizon strike day 20: Strikers health benefits expire

By Ana Bottary

abottary@abc6.com

@anabottary

It’s day 20 of the Verizon strike, yet unions and the company still far apart on contract talks. Starting this week, strikers health benefits expired affecting not only them but their families as well.
 
"Family comes first, God forbid one of the children got hurt, we would have to do what we have to do and deal with the repercussions later,"says Rhode Island Verizon striker Rob Peddle.
 
Peddle is a father of three. He has worked for Verizon the past 19 years. He says supporting his family during this time has not been easy, especially now with no health benefits.

"We have to stand for what we believe in, and get Verizon to stop outsourcing and off shoring jobs. So we will do what we have to do as long as it takes," he adds.
 
Those on strike tell me there are alternative health plans they can sign up for, but it comes at a price.
 
"For some folks, yeah it is a bite. It definitely is, especially when your options are Cobra which is almost prohibitively expensive,"says Verizon striker Mark Murphy.
 
For people like Murphy who have worked for the company over three decades, he says this is not his first rodeo. Back in 1989 he was part of a Verizon strike that lasted 4 months. He says this is unfortunately one of the repercussions they anticipated coming along with a strike.Verizon offered the unions what they called their "last and final offer" late last week. Which included, a 7.5 percent raise over the term of the contract, job protection, retirement benefits and some health care help, in efforts to better manage escalating costs. However, the unions denied the proposal.

Verizon’s chief administrative officer says:  "We’ve given the union a great offer. Their reaction to our offer does nothing to benefit our employees who are not where they should be – back at work and serving our customers."

(c)WLNE-TV 2016