45K Verizon workers strike after labor talks fail

Verizon workers picket in front of the company's headquarters, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, in New York. Forty-five thousand Verizon Communications Inc. workers from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., went on strike Sunday after negotiations fizzled over a new labor contract for more than a fifth of the company's work force. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Verizon workers picket in front of the company's headquarters, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, in New York. Forty-five thousand Verizon Communications Inc. workers from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., went on strike Sunday after negotiations fizzled over a new labor contract for more than a fifth of the company's work force. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Verizon workers picket in front of the company's headquarters, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, in New York. Forty-five thousand Verizon Communications Inc. workers from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., went on strike Sunday after negotiations fizzled over a new labor contract for more than a fifth of the company's work force. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Verizon workers picket in front of the company's headquarters, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, in New York. Forty-five thousand Verizon Communications Inc. workers from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., went on strike Sunday after negotiations fizzled over a new labor contract for more than a fifth of the company's work force. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

FILE-In this Oct. 30, 2006, file photo, a Verizon Wireless store sign is seen in a Portland, Ore. More than 35,000 unionized Verizon Communications workers from Massachusetts to Washington D.C. could go on strike after midnight Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, if the two sides fail to reach an agreement on a new labor contract. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

(AP) ? Forty-five thousand Verizon Communications Inc. workers from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C., went on strike Sunday after negotiations fizzled over a new labor contract for more than a fifth of the company's work force.

Verizon is the nation's largest wireless carrier, but the contract that expired at midnight Saturday covers workers in the company's wireline division, which includes local-phone operations, services for businesses and governments and long-haul wholesale traffic.

Talks in Philadelphia and New York stalled Saturday night after Verizon continued to demand more than 100 concessions from workers regarding health care, pensions and work rules, said the Communications Workers of America.

CWA workers picketed at Verizon headquarters in New York City on Sunday morning, wearing red and holding signs with messages including "CWA on strike for middle-class jobs."

Mark C. Reed, Verizon's executive vice president of human resources, called the outcome of the unions' actions "regrettable" for customers and employees.

"We will continue to do our part to reach a new contract that reflects today's economic realities in our wireline business and addresses the needs of all parties," he said in a statement.

Workers covered by the expired contract include 10,000 represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who serve as telephone and repair technicians, customer service representatives, operators and more. Contract negotiations began June 22.

"Even at the 11th hour, as contracts were set to expire, Verizon continued to seek to strip away 50 years of collective bargaining gains for middle-class workers and their families," CWA said in a statement Sunday.

New York-based Verizon has 196,000 workers; 135,000 are non-union.

The CWA said the concessions are unjustified and harsh, given that Verizon is highly profitable ? the company's revenue rose 2.8 percent to $27.5 billion in the second quarter. Its growth was largely attributed to its wireless business.

But Verizon said its wireline business has been in decline for more than a decade, and that it is asking for changes in the contract to strengthen the unit. The company said union employees contribute nothing to their health care premiums.

Verizon activated a contingency plan to ensure customers experienced "limited disruption in service" for the length of the strike.

"Tens of thousands of Verizon managers and other personnel have been trained to step in and perform emergency work assignments," Verizon spokesman Rich Young said.

A customer satisfaction survey released in May showed Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. ranked highest among the Big 4 wireless carriers. The survey polled 8,000 households in the first quarter of this year.

Verizon added 1.26 million wireless subscribers under contract in the April to June period this year, a result that flies in the face of the slowdown in new subscribers across the industry in the last two years. A year ago, Verizon added just 665,000 subscribers under contract.

Verizon ended the last quarter with 106.3 million devices connected to its wireless network. No. 2 and chief rival AT&T is trying to leapfrog Verizon in size by buying No. 4 T-Mobile USA for $39 billion.

Lowell McAdam, the former head of Verizon Wireless, became CEO of Verizon Communications Inc. on Aug. 1, replacing Ivan Seidenberg. Seidenberg, the longtime CEO, remains chairman of the company.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-08-07-Verizon-Workers/id-006506b95436471fbe61078337c3490d

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I'm Moving To Another City, Do I Need To Find A Realtor In That ...

questions

Q: Can a Realtor in one city find a home for you in another city or do you have to find a Realtor in the city you wish to move to?
?TJ, Austin, TX

A: Realtors are licensed in the State where they live. You want to work with a Realtor that is very familiar with the area. In Phoenix we have quite a few cities that are clustered together and we work the entire valley which includes all these cities. But I would not take a client up to Flagstaff as it is not a city that I am familiar with and I would not know areas that could have problems say with bad expansive soils that an agent that lives there would know.
Brenda Cunningham is a Realtor? in Mesa, AZ.

A: City to city doesn?t matter as far as licensing goes. But, I would definitely make sure that whatever agent you use is familiar with where you are looking.
Patrick Jorgensen is a Realtor? with Artisan Real Estate Group in Phoenix, AZ.

A:I would ask your Realtor what are their areas of service. In the Philadelphia area most Realtors do work in the surrounding counties and town.
Lynn Bentley is a Realtor? with Prudential Fox and Roach in Haverford, PA.

A: If you know a REALTOR in one city, that person can refer you to a REALTOR in another city. For that, the referring REALTOR will usually receive a referral fee. That?s the most typical scenario.

In theory, if the cities are in the same state, a REALTOR can work both. However, this rarely happens. We subscribe to the listing service (MLS) for a particular metropolitan area ? so to help a client in a different city, we?d have to purchase an MLS subscription in that city. (MLS fees are expensive.)

If the cities are in different states, then a REALTOR can?t work the other, unless she holds licenses in both states.

I hope this helps!
Julie Holden is a Realtor? with J.B. Goodwin, REALTORS in Austin, TX.

A: As long as the Realtor is licensed in the state you are looking he/she can sell anywhere in that state. However, that is not always in your best interests. It is usually best to find a Realtor who specializes in the area you wish to live.
Maria Picardi-Kenyon is a Realtor? with Re/Max Tri County Realtors in Hamilton, NJ

A: Typically Real Estate agents are licensed specific to State not City. Check with the Texas Association of Realtors.

1115 San Jacinto Blvd., Suite 200
Austin, Texas 78701-1906
Phone: 512/480-8200, 800/873-9155
Fax: 512/370-2390

My recommendation would be to stick with someone that is familiar with the area you are moving to, unless you know the area yourself.

Good Luck.
Cynthia Lombardo is a Realtor? with House Kick Realty in Southington, CT.

A: The real question is why would you want to use a real estate agent from out of the area. You really should use a Realtor? who has local knowledge of the area in which you desire to relocate. The easiest way to find a local expert is to check with a Realtor? in your current location and ask them for a referral. Or, if you would like to contact me I would be happy to point you in the direction of a good Realtor?!
Gary Waters is a Realtor? with Century 21 Baytree Realty in Rockledge, FL.

A: The way it works in Ohio is if you are a licensed Realtor in Ohio then you can work in any city. I?m thinking that is the way it is in TX due to fact when I practiced in OK, I could go all over the State.

If there is a great distance between the two cities then I would refer you to an agent who knows the area and will take excellent care of you wants and needs.

Jist ask an agent if they comfortable with showing houses in the city you wish to move to, then my all means go for it. If they aren?t, then ask them for a personal referral to an agent they have worked with before or who they know .

Happy shopping! Sunny
Sunny Demko is a Realtor? with Keller Williams Realty in Westlake, OH.

A: The Realtor has to be licensed in the state in which the property is located.
Debra Adams is a Realtor? with Keller Williams AV in Palmdale, CA.

A: Normally a REALTOR in one city would refer you to an expert in the city you are moving to, rather than try to represent you in an area that they aren?t familiar with. Even in the Metroplex, we have issues in the Fort Worth/Arlington area such as mineral rights that the Dallas agents might not be as well versed on since Dallas doesn?t fall into the Barnett Shale region. It really depends how far away the areas are and how comfortable you are with the representation you are being given.
Amy Cearnal is a Realtor? with Keller Williams Realty in Arlington, TX. A: Of course a Realtor may be able to find a home in another city. The question is your agent familiar with the city you are looking for?. As everyone said location is the difference when you buy a property, if your Realtor has the experience and knowledge in certain area? just go for it.
Salvador Lopez-Cabello is a Realtor? with Casa Latino Bay Area Realty in Temecula, CA.

A: A Realtor in one city can find you a Realtor in another city and ask the other Realtor for a referral fee ? whichs does not come out of your pocket.

In fact ? ?I? can find you a Realtor in any city ? but I don?t recommend any Realtor who says they can find you a home in another city ? because they can?t possibly know the market or have access to the local multifply listing service.

Sincerely
Leah
Leah Layman is a Realtor? with Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners in Augusta, GA.

My personal recommendation would be to find a Realtor who is familiar with the local area. A Realtor that is familiar with the market in an area will best be able to serve your needs and interests.
Julie Chapman is a Realtor? with Chapman Realty in Brunswick, GA.

Are you interested in having a qualified REALTOR answer your questions? Click through to Ask a REALTOR? now.

Are you a REALTOR who would like to answer consumer questions? Click through to become an Ask a REALTOR? participant.

Source: http://www.realtor.com/blogs/2011/08/05/im-moving-to-another-city-do-i-need-to-find-a-realtor-in-that-city-to-look-for-a-home/

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'Glee' creators are scaring up a 'Horror Story' (AP)

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. ? When Ryan Murphy was a child, his grandmother forced him to watch the daytime horror soap "Dark Shadows."

"She would make me sit through it to toughen me up," he recalled. "And when I was bad, I had to watch `The Waltons.'"

Murphy, whose credits include "Nip/Tuck" and "Glee," is now the co-creator of an upcoming FX series, "American Horror Story."

The show centers on the Harmon family, which moves to Los Angeles from Boston in an attempt to start over after suffering domestic problems. But the house the Harmons move into is haunted.

"American Horror Story" isn't so much about horror as about marriage and infidelity, Murphy told reporters Saturday during a session of the Television Critics Association conference.

But series co-creator Brad Falchuk said both he and Murphy are obsessed with the horror genre.

The goal with their new series, Falchuk said, was to figure "how can we bust the genre up, while paying homage to all the films that we love so much." High on their list: "Don't Look Now," "The Shining" and "Jaws."

The series' cast includes Oscar-winner Jessica Lange in her first regular TV series role, and, as the Harmons, Dylan McDermott ("The Practice") and Connie Britton.

Britton, who recently ended her run as a high school football coach's wife on the much-acclaimed drama "Friday Night Lights," said she avoids horror films: They scare her too much.

"I recently did the remake of `A Nightmare on Elm Street' because I was going to face my fears," she confided. After shaking her head with dread, she sparked laughter from reporters when she said, "I should not be here."

On the other hand, she acknowledged that she was looking for a different project when "American Horror Story" came along.

"I thought this would definitely be, in every way, completely different from `Friday Night Lights,'" she said, adding, "For me, it transcends horror, the way `Friday Night Lights' transcended football."

"American Horror Story" premieres Oct. 5.

___

Online:

http://www.fxnetworks.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110806/ap_en_ot/us_tv_american_horror_story

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