99% Spring in Buffalo: Community Leaders Confront Verizon and National Fuel Greed

In the spirit of the 99% Spring, CEJ joined PUSH Buffalo, Citizen Action, SEIU 1199, the National Fuel Accountability Coalition and more than 100 grassroots, and community and faith leaders for non-violent direct actions confronting two 1% corporations - Verizon and National Fuel.   

One-hundred plus people poured out of two school buses that we drove to the Verizon Wireless store on Walden and into the building, where we delivered a statement to CEO Lowell McAdam that we aren't going to stand for Verizon's corporate greed any longer.

Once inside the store, Ina Ferguson-Downing, speaking into a bullhorn, highlighted Verizon’s refusal to negotiate a fair contract with its union workforce and the company’s push to outsource jobs overseas, and cut employee healthcare, retirement, and disability benefits, despite making more than $19 billion in profits and paying its top executives $283 million over the past four years.

After clergy delivered a letter to CEO Lowell McAdam calling on him to end Verizon's practice of destroying good jobs, we boarded the bus for our next destination - National Fuel, where we were met by dozens of CWA leaders, who greeted us in solidarity against corporate greed.

During a demonstration at National Fuel’s headquarters in Williamsville, four area ministers joined with the twelve organizations that comprise the National Fuel Accountability Coalition to call for a community dialogue about the company’s practices that heighten the crisis of heating costs in neighborhoods across WNY by misallocating customer funded conservation monies.

“As people of faith and community leaders, we are troubled by the anti-community and anti-worker decisions of corporations like Verizon and National Fuel,” said Reverend Merle Showers, a minister at Niagara Frontier City Ministries.  “If these companies are to remain fixtures in our communities, they must be good corporate citizens and put people first instead of putting profits over people.”

For the past 5 years, National Fuel has charged all customers a fee to fund a $10 million a year Conservation Incentive Program, or CIP. Instead of investing in weatherization, National Fuel spent CIP funds on a bloated corporate advertising campaign.  Last year National Fuel ran over 2,000 commercials with public conservation monies.

“The National Fuel Accountability Coalition believes a community partnership is necessary to ensure that programs like CIP put people first, not corporate profits,” said Jen Mecozzi, PUSH Buffalo organizing director. 

  

  

Calling Out Verizon's Corporate Greed

On May 3, CEJ, Occupy Buffalo, and community and labor partners occupied and mic checked a Verizon Wireless store in Amherst, NY. As part of the growing movement to confront corporate power and greed, we engaged in a non-violent direct action against a very greedy corporation - Verizon.  

While Verizon was holding its shareholders’ meeting in Huntsville, Alabama, workers, people of faith, and community and labor leaders were there, and in cities across the country, including Buffalo, to tell CEO Lowell McAdam to end Verizon’s corporate greed and negotiate a fair contract with union workers. 

Verizon makes billions in profits every year, dodges paying federal income taxes, receiving nearly $1 billion back from the federal government from 2008-2010, and increased CEO Lowell McAdam’s pay from $7 million to over $23 million last year.  In less than a day, McAdam is paid more than the average union worker earns at Verizon in a year.  Despite making record profits and excessive compensation for its executives, when it comes to the 45,000 workers who make Verizon’s success possible, the company cries broke. 

While Verizon has tripled CEO McAdam’s pay to $23.1 million, the company has made excessive demands that would each cost each union worker $20,000 a year.  Verizon wants to cut healthcare benefits, eliminate or freeze pensions, and cut disability benefits for workers injured on the job.  In addition, Verizon wants to eliminate all job security protections and to continue to outsource jobs overseas. 

Call Verizon’s corporate greed out and tell McAdam to negotiate a fair contract with workers by calling 800-229-9460 to record a message that will be delivered directly to Verizon executives.  Tell them to end their corporate greed and treat workers, customers, and communities with respect – by negotiating a fair contract. 

To learn more, visit verigreedy.com

CEJ's Lifetime Achievement - Marcella Fugle

Marcella Fugle

The winner of this year's Lifetime Achievement Award at our "Cirque de 99%" Annual Awards Celebration, Marcella Fugle, is currently the Chair of the NYSUT Retirees of WNY Political Action Committee. We thought we would take a moment to bring you up so speed on some of her accomplishments over the years - so you would understand why we are so honored to present her with this award!

Marcella began teaching in the fall of 1964, teaching regents Biology at a Junior High School in Hamburg, where she taught for 20 years. An early member of NYSUT, she was involved in the first contract fight for the Hamburg Teachers’ Association in 1968.

She became President of the Hamburg Teachers’ Association in 1974, serving in that capacity until 1990. Marcella also was active statewide for NYSUT, serving on the board of directors from 1976-2000 while participating on many of the committees. During this time, she also served on several committees for the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).

In 1985, she helped form the Southtown Teachers’ Center, where she worked from 1985 to 2000, when she finally retired from work. However, she would go on to become active in the NYSUT Retirees of WNY, where she is currently the Chair of the Political Action Committee. As such, her main objective is working to increase political engagement of teachers and move NYSUT members to political action. A recent success was their role in the election of Kathy Hochul to Congress. Marcella looks forward to the upcoming elections this fall – and whenever you see NYSUT members getting-out-the-vote – you will know that Marcella had her hands on this. She is also working hard to make sure school budgets are voted in as we celebrate tonight.

In addition, Marcella has been a long-time CEJ member. In 2000, she was asked to join CEJ’s board of directors, and has long worked to get teachers involved in organizations like the Coalition for Economic Justice.