Thread: Verizon caught with illegal alien workers in PA

Plum wants Verizon's ID records, construction drawings
By Karen Zapf
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, August 17, 2007
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 22614.html

Plum officials laid out a list of demands Thursday for Verizon to fulfill before the company can go back to work installing fiber-optic cable in the borough.
"We agreed on some things they will do to move forward on the project," said Plum Manager Michael Thomas. "We want to make sure the safety of the residents is priority one while they're on the job."

The borough this week revoked Verizon's 27 road occupancy permits -- suspending all fiber-optic work -- after an incident involving an illegal worker from Honduras. While employed by a Verizon subcontractor, the man crashed a truck into a tree near a work site in Plum, police said.

It is the second time police have arrested illegal immigrants working for Verizon subcontractors in the area. Federal officials told Verizon they would review the documentation of all of its workers in Western Pennsylvania, the company said.

The borough yesterday demanded driver's license and identification records for all the Verizon subcontractors on the job. It also wants the company's construction drawings showing where Verizon is installing the fiber-optic cable and the location of utility lines.
Plum also wants to know when the workers are opening streets and when the restoration work will be done.

Borough officials earlier this week said workers have hit utility lines and streets have buckled as a result of the cable project.

Verizon officials said they might produce the information the borough requested as early as today.

"We're working with the contractors to reaffirm that the work is being done safely and that they are communicating with other utilities and other customers in the area," said Verizon spokesman Lee Gierczynski.

Gierczynski said Verizon supports the efforts of immigration officials to validate the documentation all people working for Verizon contractors and subcontractors in Western Pennsylvania. Immigration officials have not returned calls for comment on the document review.

"It will help eliminate the cloud of suspicion hanging over (the workers)," Gierczynski said.

Gierczynski said no other communities have sought to revoke Verizon's permits. He said Verizon has been working in more than 90 communities in Western Pennsylvania.

Dick Johns, western region vice president of the Communications Workers of America Local 13000, applauded Plum's actions.

"A billion-dollar corporation should not let this happen anymore," Johns said.

Councilman Paul Dern said he will be satisfied to permit Verizon to get back on the job after the information is turned over to the borough.

"Once they do that, we have a record," Dern said. "They need to hire people who know what they're doing. This is making more of a headache for us, and it is a public safety issue."

Karen Zapf can be reached at kzapf@tribweb.com or (412) 380-8522.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illegal workers spur fed review in Western Pa.
By Karen Zapf
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsbu ... 22216.html
Wednesday, August 15, 2007


Federal officials will begin inspecting the documentation of all people working for Verizon contractors and subcontractors in Western Pennsylvania following another arrest of an illegal immigrant working on a fiber-optic cable project, the company said Tuesday.
"We welcome it," said Verizon spokesman Lee Gierczynski. "The process will help everyone in the communities. It is an embarrassing problem for all of us."

An illegal worker from Honduras crashed a truck belonging to a Verizon subcontractor's employee into a tree near a work site in Plum earlier this month, police said. The incident prompted Plum Council on Monday to revoke Verizon's 27 road occupancy permits, suspending all fiber-optic work in the borough.

"We will not tolerate this," said council President Chuck McMeekin. "This is a busy neighborhood with kids playing on the street."

Council scheduled a meeting with Verizon officials for Thursday morning to discuss the work permits, for which Verizon paid $11,212.
Dick Johns, western region vice president of the Communications Workers of America Local 13000, said his union might start warning municipal leaders in other areas where Verizon is working.

"This is work that we in Verizon could do," said Johns, whose union represents about 1,000 Verizon workers in Western Pennsylvania. "They said the issue would be fixed."

In May, police pulled over a truck on the Parkway West carrying six immigrants from El Salvador and Honduras. The immigrants told police they were living here illegally as subcontractors for Verizon. The Verizon contractor terminated the subcontractor from Missouri that hired the six men.

On Aug. 3, Plum police responded to the truck crash on the 300 block of Oak Road. Witnesses told police a Hispanic driver ran from the truck and got into a blue van that left the area.

Plum police Chief Frank Monaco said the vehicle's owner, who works for the Dinamic Group of Lawrenceville, Ga., a Verizon subcontractor, initially said he was driving the truck. Eventually, Johni Padilla-Ponez, 29, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, was brought back to the scene, arrested by Plum police and charged with driving without a license and careless driving.

Monaco said immigration officials arrived and took Padilla-Ponez away. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Philadelphia did not respond to requests for information on Padilla-Ponez or the inspection of Verizon records.

The Dinamic Group could not be reached for comment.

William Grassi, a resident of Oak Road, said he was "livid" about the incident.

"The most important things are the safety and well-being of the people in the community," said Grassi, 46. "Other communities need to follow the lead of Plum Borough. I'm proud of what they did."

Gierczynski said the Dinamic Group was hired by Infrasource, a prime contractor hired by Verizon. Infrasource spokesman John Conte said Padilla-Ponez, who has been fired, provided false documentation to get hired.

Conte said Infrasource reviews its subcontractors' Internal Revenue Service forms. He said Infrasource is reviewing its procedures.

"We take this very seriously," Conte said.

Gierczynski said Verizon's prime contractors and subcontractors have procedures to pay for property damage caused by workers.

"We are going to be working with borough officials to make sure their concerns are addressed promptly so that we can once again deploy the fiber-optic network within the community to benefit the residents of Plum Borough," Gierczynski said.

Karen Zapf can be reached at kzapf@tribweb.com or (412) 380-8522.

Well I have Verizon and I also have a 2 year contract. So how do you boycott that?

Cancel your contract with them. When they try to hit your credit card w/the early termination fee call your credit card company and dispute that charge.

Originally Posted by Paige

Well I have Verizon and I also have a 2 year contract. So how do you boycott that?

I can't stand Verizon personally. They have the worse customer service and tend to insult the customer. Plus most of the calls go to a "call center" and we're not even sure which country that goes to.