Verizon Workers Picket Phone Stores

Several thousand Verizon workers are on strike in Southeastern Massachusetts, part of the nearly 40,000 Verizon workers who walked off their jobs this week in a contract dispute.

About 20 workers were demonstrating Thursday outside the Verizon store at the Dartmouth Mall. Picketing was also happening outside a Verizon store in Wareham.

A key issue, according to Communication Workers of America official Don Tremantozzi, is Verizon's attempt to outsource jobs to other countries.

"The company wants to outsource millions of calls overseas to the Philippines and Mexico. We believe those jobs need to be in our communities and that's where the calls are generated from," said Tremantozzi. "Its a big bone of contention," he said.

The Union official added "the company makes $1.5 billion a month, and its not like they need more money, they just want it."

Tremantozzi says no talks are currently happening, but he says the unions are ready to go back to the table at anytime. A strike at Verizon five years ago lasted about two weeks.