William C. McGowan         Business Manager   

Kevin Desmond                Asst. Bus. Mgr / President

Craig G. Duffy                   Asst.Bus Mgr/ Vice President

Marie Sweet                      Office Administrator

April 4, 2008

Mr. Ivan Seidenberg

Chairman and C.E.O.

Verizon Communications

140 West St.

29

New York, New York 10007

I am writing to you to express my frustration with the atmosphere that permeates from Verizon as the result of your anti-Union worker philosophy and hostility to the very employees who have made the company successful.

In all my years as business manager including the Nynex strike of 1989, I have never experienced such complete disregard of the negotiated provisions of our collectively bargained agreement intended to ensure safe and secure working conditions and a spirit of mutual cooperation between workers and management.

Instead, the mandate from Verizon management has become profits at all costs.  While the union’s members have worked to create those very profits, we can no longer tolerate your complete disregard for our contract and management’s aggressive interference in the right of employees to organize and have a meaningful voice in their future.

Co-operation must be a two way street.  Therefore, effective immediately, the IBEW is adapting a national practice of no cooperation with Verizon.  This will include our political assistance on local, state and federal legislation and regulatory issues, all national programs, such as the voluntary Sell One More, and cross functional teams, and any other programs concerning Verizon.  As you are personally aware, many of our locals have been assisting Verizon in obtaining franchise agreements town-by-town as well as at a state level, as in New Jersey. 

You may think this is a drastic step, but it is a product of your continuing disrespect for the IBEW.  The union will, of course, meet its obligation to bargain in good faith under the National Labor Relations Act over employees’ terms and conditions of employment.

PROXY

In the next few weeks IBEW System Council T6 members will receive, at home, your

Verizon Shareholder’s Proxy

Once again this year the IBEW will be collecting completed proxies to deliver as a group to send a clear message to Verizon

Item 1.          Election of Directors:

The IBEW System Council T6: recommends a VOTE AGAINST ALL  

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Item 2. Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.    The IBEW System Council T6:   has no recommendation

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Item 3.  Eliminate Stock Options

The IBEW System Council T6: recommends a VOTE FOR

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Item 4.  Gender Identity non-discrimination policy.

The IBEW System Council T6: has no recommendation

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Item 5.  Separate Offices of Chairman and CEO

The IBEW System Council T6: recommends a VOTE FOR

PLEASE RETURN YOUR COMPLETED PROXY IN THE ORIGINAL ENVELOPE DIRECTLY TO YOUR STEWARD OR UNION REPRESENTATIVE  

The unions will be collecting and delivering voted proxies to the company.  IBEW and CWA are not asking for discretionary authority to vote proxies on behalf of their members. Make sure you vote and sign your proxy.