A report by Metropolitan Washington [D.C.] Council assistant mobilizer Julia Kann of Union City.

To show the telecom giant Verizon is still "turning its back" a year after its workers went on strike, Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 2108 members and allies stood along Route 29 in Montgomery County, Md., with their backs turned to early-morning traffic on Thursday. The group displayed the letters V-E-R-I-Z-O-N on their backs and held banners declaring Verizon is "turning their back" on consumers and employees. 

Verizon workers went on strike for three weeks a year ago for a fair contract and recently entered arbitration. To help mark the one-year anniversary of the strike, allies throughout the D.C. metro area showed their solidarity in letter-delivery actions. Members of the Union de Trabajadores, the AFL-CIO Union Summer program, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) D.C. Chapter and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have all taken part, delivering a letter of worker solidarity—signed by hundreds of supportive community allies—to Verizon store managers.

"I am a Verizon customer," said Union Summer student Vail Kohnert-Yount (left, center) after delivering a letter to the Verizon store in downtown D.C. "I think it's important to use consumer power to support workers." CWA and IBEW are currently in federal mediation with Verizon; stay tuned to Union City for more information as negotiations continue.