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Verizon Strikers Peacefully Picket in Mt. Kisco

MOUNT KISCO, N.Y.—Dozens of unionized workers dressed in red shirts stood on the corner of South Moger Avenue on Thursday afternoon quietly protesting their employer, Verizon.

The protesters, who have been striking since Monday, hope to stop Verizon from making a number of changes, including increasing health care costs and freezing pensions.

 “Verizon Company has a lot of retrogressive demands that would take us back 40 years,” said John Scavrda, union chief steward CWA1103. “Us down at the bottom are living on peanuts and they want us to live on the shells.”

Scavrda said that the picketers are spending about eight hours a day on the line, but hope that the strike won’t last too much longer.

Fellow union chief steward Mike Keddy is willing to embrace change but not at the cost of the employees who helped grow the company’s success.

 “It took the involvement of working class people,” Keddy said of Verizon’s success. “It’s not the commercials. It’s not the man on TV. It’s the man in the van on the street.”

Although there has been reports of some violence at other protests throughout the region, Scavrda said that the group who assembled in Mt. Kisco are all mature and peaceful.

“We’re not looking to torch the building or anything,” Scavrda said.

The workers have also felt the support of the community as many cars passing by honk their horn.

“Family and friends understand. People understand,” Keddy said.  “We’re a working class community. We’re a part of this community.”

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