December 15, 2025
To My Fellow Verizon Brethren, Recently Laid Off:
I write this open letter to those affected by the recent layoffs at Verizon and offer heartfelt sympathy to more than 13,000 of you, whose lives and that of your families, have been turned upside down by job cuts. To effectuate this just before Thanksgiving feels heavy-handed.
Across 33 years as a telephone lineman and cable splicer for the company, originally when it was New York Telephone, then NYNEX, Bell Atlantic, and finally Verizon, I had a lot of reasons to continue being involved beyond my final work assignment. Having served as a one-time union organizer I understand the bitter pill, when someone is shoved out the door prematurely.
I remain a believer that any setbacks can serve as a motivational springboard, which is a reason I joined the Association of BellTel Retirees and continue now as its Board Chair.
As you ponder your career future and the vital protection of your families, I urge current workers and those recently dismissed to join with us and embrace our organization’s advocacy role, which we believe is the best way to shelter and protect our collective earned benefits.
Our Association’s growth from just seven NYNEX-retiree founders in 1995 to 134,000 members is recognition that we must hold senior leadership accountable for economic and contractual commitments made during our working years. If the HR treatment of the workforce and retirees were as they long guaranteed us, our non-profit would never have gotten off the ground.
There was a need then. There was a serious void, so BellTel built a movement that has carried on now for 30 years. We have been successful in bringing a pension protection case to the U.S. Supreme Court, we’ve authored Congressional legislation, have won countless shareholder proxies versus Verizon, all in the name of protecting our fellow retirees and workers.
One thing is always clear: We stand by to support our members from across the telecommunications community and have the firepower to do so. As we all prepare to enter 2026, I implore you to join us and become an activist for good. We know that there is strength in numbers, so I ask you to learn more about us and about becoming a significant part of BellTel.
Sincerely,
