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Verizon Strike 2016 Update: Judge Says The Unions Need to Take Responsibility For Threatening and Intimidating Replacement Worker

Delaware Judge: The Unions Need to Take Responsibility

A Delaware judge ruled on Thursday that the union representing striking Verizon employees should take responsibility for threatening and intimidating replacement workers. Meanwhile, the judge declined to hold two union locals in contempt after protesters damaged non-union replacement workers' vehicles.

"I will not allow people to be threatened or put in danger of being hurt," the News Journal cited J. Travis Laster, the Delaware Chancery Court Vice Chancellor. "It's not just a violation of my order, but it really runs contrary to what you are trying to achieve, which is respect for your own positions."

"If they're not willing to take responsibility, I'm going to reconsider my (contempt) ruling," said the Chancellor. He might hold them in criminal contempt and fine them.

Laster told the unions' lawyers that they should take responsibility for the problems they have created.

He also ruled that striking workers have to stay 30 yards away when following replacement workers on highways where the speed limit exceeds 55 miles per hour, and banned the picketers from using racial and sexual slurs to describe the contract workers.

As of now, both Verizon and the unions have not made any comments on the ruling.

Previously, Mobile&Apps reported that the strike may end in June. Analyst Barry Sine of Drexel predicted "the strike to end relatively soon", likely in June.

The analyst also the Verizon strike might trim $200 million from Verizon's profit. The tech giant will also lose about 150,000 FiOS video and data customers this spring due to the protest.

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