Verizon In Blackface-An excerpt from Richard L Newbury

Includes excerpts from “Verizon in Blackface”

The below article is a summary of my novel, “Verizon in Blackface”, which is the true story of my experience while an employee in the Verizon Business Office, then later as a StaffManager, working in the New York District Office with Verizon (NYNEX-Bell Atlantic) leadership, most notably the sole H.R. Manager over thousands of employees in their PubCom division (over two decades). Although I was unable to provide all the information within the novel, this article outlines the collusion between the AFL-CIO union, the company and regulators to perpetuate egregious discrimination against black and minority employees, and how it was achieved.

“Verizon in Blackface” also discusses other issues such as vendor fraud, employee incentive scams, the theft of tens of thousands of dollars of company property, “anonymous hotline” fraud, and sexual harassment. It’s not a lengthy novel but highlights these illegal and immoral activities and how those on its payroll, like the NAACP and Jesse Jackson, ensured the truth regarding such, which violated federal, state and local laws, were accomplished with impunity and purposely hidden by regulators at the PUC (Public Utilities Commission), FCC, and SEC. Everything electronic based within is verifiable via FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests.

Note: Today’s Verizon, initially included operating companies like New Jersey Bell, Diamond State Telephone, Bell Telephone of Pennsylvania, and the C&P Telephone companies. The company then merged with another RBOC, NYNEX/New York Telephone, in 1997. Later, Bell Atlantic acquired non-Bell company GTE in 2000, and the combined entity was renamed Verizon Communications. It’s a corporation's way of getting a new lease on life, tossing aside all FCC, SEC and other fines and judgements against them. Or so it seems. As Verizon was once (and maybe still is) considered a utility, they’re overseen by regulators at the FCC, SEC, PUC…and so on

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It was Friday, March 31st, 2023. I was awaiting a conference call with a company representative, Ms. Salama Atadika, Senior Manager, Employee Relations for the Verizon leadership teamworking directly with CEO, Hans Vestberg. I’d advised the team about what I’d witnessed while employed, and the fact I’d planned to document such including how the organization forced me from the company after officially reporting the disenfranchisement of their minority workforce and an official security report regarding the theft of company property. I advised this was the basis of the novel I was developing andplanned to publish. They weren’t happy.

Although I’d been stripped of my position with the company, my reputation, livelihood and ability to find employment destroyed for standing up, it was when I became a Christian years later that my path was made clear. Not to alienate the non-believers amongst us… I was given a purpose (after a few …nudges) and inspiration from lyrics, such as “Free Indeed (no chains on me)” to put my own life (again) in jeopardy, by publishing the truth about this ruthless organization who will commit any crime to ensure my book never sees the light of day. I resisted writing the book for so many years as it would force me to regurgitate what I had buried deep inside for so long.

I wanted to give the organization, led by Mr. Vestberg, who also sits on the Blackrock Board, some options prior to the publishing of such, or my attempt. I felt once they realized the enormity and scope of the management misconduct, violation of SEC, FCC and PUC policies, etc.  they would give an honest attempt to verify some of the basic facts...but, as I continually learn, we’re talkin’ Verizon here. You don’t become a mega company by being honest. They declined to take any action.

I was not surprised, being a Senior Manager, but saddened just the same, that Verizon’s Ms. Atadika felt no empathy for the victims, rather, dismissing the company’s role in the disenfranchisement of her own community. Money and power. Eventually, it destroys everything and everyone in its path. Prior to finding faith, which has made me unafraid of these demons, I let Ms. Atadika know exactly what I thought of her.

I suggested that I personally would be satisfied, and would pull back the publication of my book, (signing an NDA) if they’d agree to initiate an educational grant or fund, giving Verizon the ability to decide on its value. It would be offered to Verizon (NYNEX, Bell Atlantic) New York Region Public Communications (payphone) employees (or their next of kin), employed partially or fully, under Ms. Satran’s reign (ending in 2011) and even possibly others affected such as vendors.

The fund, trust or whatever financial instrument utilized would be used strictly for tuition (including books). Tuition to accredited colleges and Universities, trade schools or even applied to internships.  I suggested Verizon could contact those eligible and quietly allow them to apply (utilizing length of employment, title, etc. as a qualifier).

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So, let’s start with a bit of background before we jump into the whole story.

As noted, for over two decades (until 2011), one Verizon Human Resource Manager, Ms. Susan Satran, exclusively controlled the lives of thousands of Verizon employees; their success or failure, career advancement opportunities (promotions, bonuses, paygrade, salary, assessments), their overall livelihood, and/or lack thereof).

In short, Ms. Satran, working with AFL-CIO leadership and silence from regulators, had the very last word. What could go wrong?

I learned, while acting as Ms. Satran’s Assistant for several years, and in her own words, her distain and belief that minorities, mostly black Americans, were inferior in the workplace. If it influenced her private relationships, I couldn’t say, but it did affect her decision making process in the workplace that she alone controlled. Those responsible to enforce H.R. policies and ethics, like the Director (Mr. B.) that had a “special” relationship with her, and kept her in place,M.I.A.

Her work was easy to spot if you were looking. Within the Manhattan, New York District office for example, all the management personnel were Caucasian, and the entire Administrative staff, black with one Latina.

I became aware of the department’s unwritten internal “methods” regarding its workforce, that were designed and executed to allow for the rapid ascension of some, and the quick descent, stalemate, and/or separation from the payroll for others.

Not that this was employed with everyone in the workforce. This was far from the only issue affecting, or “infecting”, dependent upon your interpretation, the work culture at the Public Communications, New York District Office.

One day in 1998, while a Staff Manager, after learning of another “arranged” promotion, this time of a Director’s, Son-in-Law, over a Black Supervisor (with decades more experience)who I had worked with, I was done. With few protections in place for whistle-blowers, I told the NAACP, Jesse Jackson’s office and the company what I witnessed, fully realizing my career, livelihood and reputation were in peril. … In peril, they were. I wasn’t out to hurt anyone’s career, but simply, as a Staff Manager, help initiate fairness. Let’s just say my efforts weren’t welcomed, nor as I would learn, “career-affirming”. From Staff Manager to unemployment line in one neat little package. (Collateral Damage).

Twenty or more years have passed since I was forced from the organization through false charges, and It’s only gotten stronger since I became a Christian in 2024. That urge to finally address, document, and even allow myself to mourn the destinies denied to so many.

That’s how I look at all those affected directly or indirectly.  I think of the families and lives forever changed by the whims of one person …and what the victim’s children, now grandchildren could, would have achieved. In my mind, it is the difference between a city college or an Ivy League University education, and the opportunities and lifestyle that affords.

“What could have been” -- file this under.

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I guess for you to really understand; I’ll have to take you back with me…back to the nineties in America. Back to when the nation used landlines and the companies that currently make up Verizon, monopolized the service for over one hundred million customers within the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S.A. and the power that gave them. Landlines were king and payphones (before widespread cell use) were queen; all extremely lucrative with little getting in the way of their success…like competition.

I was hired as a temporary employee in the business office of New York Telephone/NYNEX, current-day Verizon in 1989. After a three-week training, I began working as a Representative in the PubCom business office. The Lead Supervisor in the office was Ethel B. Ethel, extremely professional and knowledgeable, was doing the final training of the other two temporary employees I was trained with. Ethel was what I would consider the “gold standard” an incredible resource, and the “go to” person in the office.

While working within the business office and speaking with many of the same customer’s month after month regarding billing overcharges (never under charging I might add), I realized that many of overcharging on taxes, surcharges, fees and within other sections of their bills, amounted to literally, pennies. Although I would immediately process a refund, it concerned me that the company would purposely and knowingly regularly overcharge their clients.

Upon realizing such, as I didn’t want to take the matter to management, who might discontinue my “temporary” employment for speaking out, I quietly spoke with a close work friend, and co-worker, Warren. I questioned why would the company do such a thing when it cost the organization much more to process a refund? Warren explained it this way; the corporation as a whole, considering not only our extremely lucrative payphone division, but landlines and other services, combined, made up approximately thirty or more million customers.

If the company adds an additional penny or two on each tax, surcharged, fee, etc., nothing large, that most customers would never notice. Even if a client did notice, most often they wouldn’t take the time to address it, would you? Considering NYNEX (Verizon) had such a large number of customers, it could easily be deemed an honest mistake or computer error (they had a lot of those). By the time the FCC gets around to imposing a fine, it’d be the equivalent to merely a fraction of the monies stolen. Always, generating nothing but a slap on the wrist for this mega company while no one in the leadership team would ever be convicted of a crime. It was all done with a nod and a wink by regulators.

The FCC naturally would allow these “errors” to continue on for years and years before any action would ever be taken. When action was taken, it would address only one-line item, ensuring another entire three year-long investigation into each other line item. It was a formula that enabled, what was to become Verizon’s “modus operandi” in conjunction with the reduction of client services, adding new fees for items that were once included in the service package, and such, to obtain the capital to “absorb” more reputable and honest organizations.

Next to the customer service area, on the other side of a partition on our floor, was the sales office. While employed I befriended many of the Salespeople and Sales Managers. Payphones, as noted previously, were extremely lucrative, and were in high demand by local businesses in New York and New England. At one point, in 2000, for example, Verizon maintained over 500,000 units. One unit could generate hundreds, even thousands of dollars, if not more, each and every month for the business. Imagine the impact it had on the company’s overall revenue. It was immense.

The company would install and maintain the payphone device free of charge if the business qualified by generating a particular amount of revenue, of which the company would take a large percentage. If the client didn’t qualify, they could be billed for the installation and maintenance of the device. If I recall properly, installation, in 1980’s dollars, was approximately $400.00 per.

The Salespersons received a fee for each device that generated monies or the customer had installed, amongst other compensation. Many of the sales personnel, once I got to know them, would quietly tell me that the company would renege, or not pay what was promised when it came to these fees and compensation, and that it was a constant issue. Although they’d bring their concerns to the CWA union Reps (Communication Workers of America, AFL-CIO), no action would ever be taken.

There was an employee incentive program entitled “Mission Possible,” which was another source of conflict for both the sales and business office employees. I personally, although I earned credits with this incentive program, was never able to utilize such. The way the program was supposed to work was; employees were given a catalog that contained everything from television sets to small items that you could purchase after earning a certain point grade or credits. Although I do know many employees that did receive nice gifts from the program, I and many others, after sending in our paperwork, would never hear back or be allotted the points or credits we had earned.

This incentive program, and no doubt others (although I personally was only aware of this program) netted the organization millions and millions of dollars in sales and other benefits derived from employees who would never actually benefit from the program. I learned later why.

Early on in my career at the business office I had my first encounter with the CWA (AFL-CIO) union when, one of the men in a leadership role, visited our business and sales offices in Brooklyn.

He strutted around the room and seemingly, even the Sales Managers appeared to be nervous he was visiting. Although the Union Representative within our office was one of us, a worker who represented the union, the leadership were highly paid union employees who felt they could call the shots, and obviously, they did in most instances.

He walked by me on several runs around the office, at one point peering at me from across the room. He came to my position, never identifying himself other than he was from the union, and against company policy, demanded I unplug from the console. Immediately, as a temporary employee, thought either my employment had ended, or that he was going to applaud my efforts in servicing the customers in an efficient and expedient manner. Far from the truth.

The union, as I was aware, was never authorized to obstruct an employee’s work unless they were on a break or it had been authorized in advance; it was not. I did as I was told and he was very curt with me and advised “You better slow down, you’re working too fast and you’re making everyone else look bad!”. He, without as much as a greeting or goodbye, walked away. I was appalled but had heard from Warren that the union didn’t care about the health of the organization, and this proved it to me firsthand. Instead of being thanked for my efforts, I was scorned.

One of my favorite people in the business office, whom I’ve already mentioned, was Warren J. He had long dreads decades before they were fashionable, was extremely affable, and we got along well, as he did with seemingly everyone in the facility. He somewhat took me under his wing, as he had done with the other “newbies”, advising what to expect and how not to get on management’s, or more importantly, the union’s bad side.

He, much like Ethel and Joan, my Supervisor, was extremely knowledgeable and cared about the customers. He advised how to process numerous items as they came up and handle other job-related duties not covered in training. I called on him for assistance many times while on calls when I was unsure how to move forward. He’d always take the time to help me navigate the situation and would explain why I was doing something, as opposed, to just the mechanics.

He, in my mind, was a real benefit to the company and I learned as much from him, as I did from the Supervisors on the floor. Unfortunately, the company, nor the union, didn’t share my conviction as he spoke his mind. This was probably why he was never considered for a Supervisory role albeit he maintained all the necessary skill sets and was black. Warren, much to his detriment, as noted, was extremely outspoken however, especially against what he considered our crooked union. Many of our co-workers would warn him, saying “Warren, be careful,”but he’d ignore them and go about his business.

One day, after Warren criticized the company and the union openly, he disappeared. The word was he was terminated for selling access to internal systems. I never believed it for a minute. The union showed up the day after their verbal exchange and strutted around the office, I guess telling us what will happen to anyone who dares speak out.

I was told to remain silent by my co-workers as I was most likely already on the AFL-CIO’s “hitlist”, I looked at them for who they were, “bullies” who cared little about the people who paid their salaries (via union dues), and even less about the customers their workforce served. This, I know, is not representative of most unions and I don’t imply it to be.

On another occasion, unceremoniously, Mr. H arrived. The Son-in-law of Director, Steve O. Robert H, was hired as a permanent employee. Violating company and ethics policies that require all temporary employees be offered permanent status before anyone could be hired permanently in that title. …Not surprisingly, all three of us temporary employees in the Brooklyn business office were abruptly laid off. There was nothing the Business Office manager Anna F. could do about it.

So that was my first encounter with the organization and Ms. Satran’s dirty work without realizing it…I should have seen the red flags, but I was standing too close to them. Some years later I was rehired. as a Telephone Technician. During my brief three-day training experience with several seasoned Technicians, they openly discussed, even joked about the employees the company and union were “targeting”. They told me plenty and I learned much more over the next few years.

Upon reporting to work at the Manhattan facility, I was told they weren’t going to put me through the normal three-week training (as I was the only candidate hired) but instead would have me ride along with a Technician and he’d show me the ropes. I was assigned to work with a long term employee whose company I enjoyed very much.  

He was a little unorthodox, to put it lightly, and the first day, after repairing several payphones he met up with another employee at an Irish Pub on Eighth Avenue that served lunch. He joked they would knowingly place defective parts in some payphones, or parts they knew would only work for a day or two, then return to the bar or restaurant (which was the case here) the following day.

The owners, realizing he’d be losing a great deal of money having a payphone out of circulation, and putting a repair order through the normal channels could take weeks, he was more than happy to “bribe,” for use of another word, the Techs to repair the phone in exchange for a free lunch, drink, etc. Both of the Techs, my trainer, and the other Tech told me how it worked and both ate a big lunch free of charge. I wasn’t offered lunch, which I wouldn’t have accepted anyway (had brought my own, which I did all three days I rode with him).

I can’t exactly recall, but believe I went to the restroom. Once I returned, the Tech we had met and my Trainer looked at me with suspicion upon returning. I hadn’t thought of it, but later realized they believed I might be a “Spotter” and had put in a call to the bosses at the facility about what I’d seen. I’m an up-front person and had I been a permanent employee with a few years behind me, would have spoken to the Techs about it.

Once we were away from the co-worker, my Trainer, obviously feeling more comfortable with me, stopped at another bar/restaurant the following day for lunch. The other Pub owner, not surprisingly, had a similar issue as the day prior. Having the part readily available in the van, he fixed the issue in a matter of several minutes. My Trainer, obviously not the most upstanding employee in the system, was, nevertheless, extremely good at his job. …And funny, we had a lot of laughs while we rode around together.

The pub owner, as you might guess, provided my Trainer with a beer, which he drank with a pixy straw (long straw) while driving the company truck after lunch. Honestly, I didn’t mind, he was pretty cool and was teaching me a lot. Part of me wanted to say something to management, while part of me thought my career would be immediately cut short.  I chose the latter as, I justified in my mind, who would listen to a temporary new hire anyway.

My stint as a Technician was interrupted on the third day when I was asked to work in the district office. It wasn’t until I arrived did I realize I’d be working directly for the women herself… Satran. One letter.

One letter away from Satan (and for good reason).

When reporting to the District office, I was met by Ms. Susan Satran. She appeared to be an older woman withheavy makeup, wearing a tight-fitting somewhat low cut dress for the business world. She was unlike any Manager I had seen up to that point. She studied me for a moment., then introduced herself as the department’s “sole” H.R.Manager. I’ll never forget how she greeted me. She stated, “You’re only here because of me, and I can get rid of you just as fast”, then abruptly walked off. My first thought was, “Here we go”.

Olinda, Ms. Satran’s second in command, was a lovely personwho Susan often left in tears. Considering Ms. Satran’s enormous power, they, Olinda and the Administration team she supervised, were forced to, “put up with” Satran’s abrupt,sometimes erratic and, what I considered often times extremely unfair and unprofessional manner.

Olinda personally introduced me to the entire office. Over the next few years, we became family

I began working with many of the managers in the district officeand eventually had a role in many projects on the floor. My objective was to remain on the payroll.

Ms. Satran started making sexually explicit comments and jokes. I shrugged most of that stuff off. She, and several of the male Managers on the floor would go across the street for “business meetings” and upon her return after numerous cocktails, she’d rub against me, and on one on occasion, early on in my employment, completely leaned into me.

Albeit, I am now a Christian, until a few years ago, I was gay. I simply learned how to push her away, saying things like “Okay, you, I’ve got work to do, get off me.” She’d laugh and usually move to her office.

This is  when things began to change for me as I became more intrenched in the system, and, although I was still a temporary employee working for Ms. Satran, I began working directly with Ms. Satran’s Director,  Mr. John  B.. He was responsible for retaining Ms. Satran in her title.

Always trying to remain on the payroll, I offered to assist one Manager’s Assistant, who’s Manager, Anne D. was out on disability. I learned she was working under the manager responsible for the “Mission Possible” incentive program. HerAssistant, named Anna, was delighted when I offered to assist in the processing the “Mission Possible” forms from the sales and business office that I had learned about years earlier.

I requested and was given system access. I began processingthe forms that being forwarded from the business and sales offices. Most of the forms went through initially without a hitch, when several, requiring a code from the Sales Managers, were rejected. I asked Anna how she wanted me to proceed and she said to do whatever I needed to and got immediately back to her personal call. She didn’t care for me and thought I was a “Suck Up”, but if it meant she could transfer her workload to me, she was all for it. My objective was far more basic, every day was a battle to keep my temporary job.

The forms and approvals needed, prompted my contacting the office in which I had once worked in Brooklyn. As the credit given for each sales were at the discretion of the Manager overseeing the project, which was Anne D. (who currently is a Nassau County Official).

Although the Sales Managers and such had a voice in her decision and a “sense” of what each sale or upgrade should entail, credit wise, they were far too busy overseeing a very busy sales department to give it much thought and deferred it to Ms. D. Obviously, this was another avenue in which to defraud their workforce.

The moment I contacted the Sales Managers, regarding several incomplete “Mission Possible” forms, they remembered me. The Sales Managers passed around my contact number, and I started receiving many calls. So many, in fact, it was becoming a full time assignment, and I was apprehensive it would interfere with my other duties. Many of the other Managers on the floor had come to expect anything they needed my help with, I’d be immediately available.

Once I began working on the project I began to see why the sales and business office employees weren’t being given the proper credit for their sales, or in many cases, anycredit in the system at all. I was unaware that during the prior fiscal year, according to her Assistant Anna, she had overpaid some employees and she didn’t want her ineptitude to be exposed. It appeared as thought, due to her misstep, she was taking it out on anyone who submitted their form.

When I caught up on the forms that Anna had allowed to pile up, I began seeking those “lost’ forms I could locate. I kept getting calls from many employees stating they had forwarded multiple forms, which had to be approved by their Manager prior to sending, (and these Managers weren’t willing to sign off on a second form) they were concerned, and rightfully so, as the forms had an expiration date. As Ms. D. was out on disability, and Anna seemed to care less about their plight, I did what I could for the employees but wasn’t able to resolve the missing forms issue.

I began working on another project, called the “Change Card”program while still attempting to resolve the “Mission Possible” issues; this is what saved my job eventually. I tried to stay above the fray as I worked for many of the managers on the floor and was asked, while working on the “Mission Possible” and other projects simultaneously, by Bill K. and Irene P. if I’d be interested in assisting them on the Change Card program, mostly with inventory and some other issues.

One afternoon, Anna had Ms. Anne D’s bottom desk drawer open, which was normally locked and completely off limits. It was literally stuffed with “Mission Possible” forms. I asked if I could process them. She said, “Great”, fully knowing Anne D. was purposely keeping them out of the system and concealed until they expired. I was able to input all those that hadn’t yet expired. Those that did, I faxed to their Managers and inquired what they wanted me to do about them. The Managers could do nothing and many employees were not provided compensation for all their efforts.

Some weeks later, while working on another project, Anne D., who I’d never met, charged up to me and demanded “Are you that Richard that’s been going through my files?!” I tried to advise her that Anna had given me permission, but she was enraged. I reminded her Anna alone had the keys to Ms. D.’s desk, which were on her personal key ring. The hysterical Ms. D. stormed into Ms. Satran’s office suggesting “I’ll make sure they get rid of you!” and slammed Ms. Satran’s door shutbehind her. The other Managers and the Administrative staff peered at me, and I just shrugged. As I had so many times during my stay with the company, I started thinking about where I’d be sending my resume…but I survived due to working in many areas and becoming somewhat indispensable.  

The Change Card project was exactly as it sounds, a card that had a particular dollar value that could be used within only particular “yellow” phones in downtown Manhattan. Mr. C., the Managing Director, believed it would be an incredibly successful product, it wasn’t. There were many reasons for its failure, discussed in my book. The Change Cards came in denominations ranging from five to twenty dollars. Irene P. and Bill K., realizing they were considered cash, treated them as such. This is why they used me, I believe, as they knew I was honest, and I would ensure no one would be given access to either the cards, nor the electronic or hardcopy files without the authorization of those in authority. Even Ms. Satran wasn’t allowed to access the cards that were stored at another facility in Manhattan, and under constant surveillance. It was like Ft. Knox and they never had an issue while they had control of the project. But I’ll get back to the disengagement of the devices and dismantling of the project later. We inventoried the cards on a regular basis and Irene probably knew, down to the dollar amount, what exactly was stored in that facility. Like I said, they chose the right team for the project.

Ms. Satran started leaning more and more on my assistance during this time, and with it, the sexual harassment continued, which I simply disregarded as part of the job. I was given access to numerous other intercompany systems to assist with numerous items that had once been handled by those who had taken the buyout offer some years back and were paid four times my salary.

One of those jobs was paying bills for the district and our office. It was time consuming by having to obtain the billing from numerous sources, enter such into the system, utilizing a pay code that could be very tricky as there were variations of variations. If it was improperly entered, or the wrong code used, it would have to be removed by the Director, who was Mr. B.and delay its processing sometimes by weeks.

Mr. B. was not fond of wasting time and sometimes I had to go to several sources (attempting to learn the exact work or whatever, had been performed) to find the proper code. In doing such, I learned about the type of projects they contracted, and the type of capital investment that was required by the vendors, which to this day, would still be considered proprietary in nature. After paying bills for several months, I kept coming upon the same situation, vendors, who, for whatever reason, weren’t being paid because the billing submitted to Mr. B. hadn’t been approved.

Most Verizon (NYNEX) vendors were expected or required to utilize entities developed by Western Electric, Bell and Howell, and other companies originally aligned with the Bell System and who, most likely, still gave them a cut (but I’m only speculating). The vendors, in most cases, were required to make huge capital investments to service the company. I spoke repeatedly with numerous vendors who practically begged me to ensure they received even partial payment in an effort to stay afloat financially.

One vendor, with whom I had spoken, actually cried on the phone after my submission was repeatedly disregarded by Mr. B.; this definitely made me begin to view him in a different light. Surely, with a project of the size and scope this man described (although I’d have to hasten him along) and can’t discuss the particulars, a portion of the funds could be released. He literally begged me to speak on his behalf suggesting he would be unable to make his own payroll, which is what upset him more than anything. He suggested that his obligations to his workforce was his main motivator and any more delays would mean an end to his business venture. I went to Mr. B. on his behalf personally and he advised the work hadn’t been done to his satisfaction, but he'd consider either approving it or having me re-enter the billing for a partial payment.

I noticed the vendor’s bill remained in the queue for weeks and Mr. B. never approved it. It took me awhile but I realized, per comments from several vendors, that although Verizon (NYNEX) had signed a contract and made a commitment to them, and they had indeed completed the work stated within the contract, the company would purposely hold back paymentciting any reason (true or not). This, as I was advised, was so Verizon (NYNEX) could “renegotiate” the contract as the vendor would be in such dire straits financially, and would need to employ an Attorney to fight such, that they would eventually give in. I’d imagine even take a loss on the project. I do believe this was the strategy as, by then, I’d seen enough of the company’s interactions to realize there was probably some truth to their comments.

One day on the seventh floor, I noticed, as I had many times, the union leadership meeting with Ms. Satran. I always tried my best not to overhear their conversations as any information was proprietary and honestly, wasn’t my business. I, without trying though, heard disparaging remarks regarding African Americans (not always using that term) and the fact they were forced by law to hire them. I could never understand how, in the mid-90’s any company still employ almost 99% Caucasian Directors; and only one African American Director that I ever saw (not including those first and second level Managers or Supervisors out in the field).

His name was “Willy”, and unfortunately it was how he referred to himself and I’d cringe when he’d come in because he was playing right into their hands, and didn’t even know it (or did he?). I believe though, this is why he was promoted, so he could “justify” their racist belief system. He might have even played it up to be promoted in such an unbalanced and unfair environment. We never really know what a person’s true motivations are, but the way he was treated incensed me.

The lower-level African American Managers in the field were astute, dedicated, bright and extremely professional and it saddened me when, after whatever meeting “Willy” was involved. The moment he departed the District Office they would dismiss and mock his input, laughing about his mannerisms. Actually, it was my anger concerning "Willy”" that made me begin to inquire from some of my co-workers, how the company got away with it. Although, promotion into management was somewhat muted, I learned how the AFL-CIO, working with racists like Ms. Satran, kept minorities, especially Africans Americans from advancing and many times, even leading to their termination. I learned the truth from numerous unnamed Managers, and of course, from the Techs I trained with. What I found was that out in the “field”, an employee that was targeted, especially by the AFL-CIO (who, I knew from experience wasn’t an honest broker), they’d do numerous things to move them out.

For instance, if they were a Technician, they’d purposely not make repairs to a particular van or other transportation. When the employee broke down, and couldn’t make all his calls, his “productivity” would get whacked. Of course, they’d pretend to “write off” those instances, but continually give him faulty vehicles. If he suggested that this was indeed the case, they’d suggest he was just lazy, dishonest, and purposely either took the vehicle he knew had issues or were being deceitful about the service issues. As management, in collusion with the AFL-CIO, oversaw the fleet, they could doctor any of the manual books to make it seem the employee was at fault.

There was always a staunch union person more than willing to assist by suggesting he had no issues with the van when he used it the day prior. As management controlled the job allocations, they could hide any down time as authorized time to do whatever. The same went with equipment. They’d provide the “Targeted” Tech with parts and such they knew were faulty, and when out at a customer’s location, when he couldn’t get the device to work properly and would call in to the company, he’d be told that the Tech didn’t’ really know what he was doing, and again, it would be documented and used against him during the appraisal period. They’d state he/she was incompetent and were attempting to misrepresent the facts. Of course, as AFL-CIO leadership would infer, everybody knows about those blacks and Hispanics; none could be trusted.

Now, these are just two examples of the long list of ways to derail someone’s career in PubCom when you hold all the cards. I found it shameful, and quite frankly, immoral...but it was more than that, it was illegal. Had any report against Ms. Satran or the AFL-CIO ever seen the light of day, this would have been rectified. Unfortunately, even regulators mandated to ensure this didn’t occur were on Verizon’s payroll; normally paid off through PubCom slush funds (monies left over from projects that weren’t ever executed and only existed on paper).

So, imagine if you were this employee, the record would state you were dishonest, lazy, unproductive and inept. How many promotions or paygrade advances would you qualify for? Complain, and t/he union would inform your co-worker you’re a snitch. Many careers began and ended per the AFL-CIO’s disgraceful endeavors. Now, I’m not suggesting for one minute that there are not good unions who work tirelessly to ensure their workforce is treated fairly and equitably in an effort to improve the lives of their constituents. I am not a fan of this union, the AFL-CIO, as I know exactly what its leadership is not only capable of, but did on a regular basis to those with whom they wished to separate from the payroll. How many reputations and livelihoods has this union destroyed?

After working for the company, and under Ms. Satran for a couple of years, and witnessing her essentially terrorizing her staff at times, even making Olinda cry on multiple occasions, without any repercussions. Remember, they saw, firsthand, the damage and unequal treatment all of those affected by her racism and ability to disenfranchise anyone at her discretion. Mr. B. ensured Ms. Satran was always covered. I was disgusted but wasn’t surprised when one of her Administrators (Lynette) had had enough of Ms. Satran’s harassment techniques and her dirty dealings. Lynette decided to retire early (and lose many benefits in the process) so she could divorce herself from the discrimination and debauchery she witnessed by the Human Resource Manager.

I’m going to jump ahead in my story momentarily, as this is the perfect time to document why, after years in this position, no reports against her were ever investigated or were officially documented. Several years after one of the Admin’s departed, while a Staff Manager, I was on the seventh floor waiting for a fax from a client. As I waited, one came through, and instead of the sender placing the normal “To” and “From” atop the page, I had to read down several sentences to identify the recipient.

I realized the fax was a complaint against Susan Satran, sent from the field, and sent directly to John B. marked “personal”. I never read faxes or correspondence addressed to others, most notable anything denoted as “personal”, and stopped upon the first two lines and reaching the recipient’s name. I had learned when I was laid off unfairly in 1990, and contacted the company, who immediately forwarded my concerns to the PubCom Executive Director, David C., he, not even reviewing such, would simply send it to Mr. B to investigate. As I, at this point, upon receiving the fax worked on the sixth floor, and it was late in the day, I walked it into Mr. B’s office. He glanced at it, and as I had sent him an email earlier in the day, I waited to ask him if he had had an opportunity to review it. Mr. B. read the fax, then immediately called in Ms. Satran, whose office door was open. He asked me to wait for a moment as he passed the fax to Ms. Satran and said “Suzy, take care of this.” She read it quickly and looked back up at him, stating “I know just what to do with this.”

I didn’t let on that I knew some of its contents as I’d been handing them many faxes over the years and had never read past who was the recipient. This told me why no reports or investigations into her or the AFL-CIO’s activities would ever be documented. The employee would have to employ an Attorney for their voice to be heard, and, as I learned years later, no Attorney will take a suit against this malicious and far-reaching mega company. They had all their bases covered, and if I had any respect left for Mr. B, it was lost that day.

I had made the decision to walk away from the company and put my experiences behind me after several years in Ms. Satran’s employ, planning to resign. I was done, and knew filing a complaint with their regulators would do absolutely nothing but enrich some employee as the FCC or PUC. I now knew exactly how it all worked at Verizon (NYNEX).

While crossing 38th Street on Tenth Avenue, I was involved in a near fatal accident with a moving bus. The driver, later suggesting he didn’t see me, as at 5’’2”, 110 lbs., I was below his eyesight (which, to this day I don’t believe). He was turning left onto 38th street, off Tenth Avenue, moving toward the Lincoln Tunnel when he hit me. Initially knocking out my front teeth then pushing me under the bus, nearly dragging me under the moving bus.

As I, after numerous exams, finally made a permanent employee week earlier, Ms. Satran acted as though I’d done this purposely and was upset; never once asking if I was okay. Begrudgingly, and refusing to speak directly to me, Ms. Satran ordered me to report to Director Tom K., who worked at another location in midtown Manhattan.

Tom K. was extremely patient with me while working with crutches, etc. and appreciated my work ethic. He, and I can’t say enough about this man, literally restored my faith in the company by his kind, generous manner and was a person who valued and respected hard work.

Unlike what I had experienced working with Mr. B. and Ms. Satran he promoted and recognized his workforce based solely on merit. I was incredibly lucky to have been assigned to work under Mr. K., but was disappointed when two months later, we were moved from our location at 1166 Avenue of the Americas, back to the District Office location (sixth floor). Prior to our departure, as the office area hadn’t yet been furnished or prepared for a Director level management employee, I took on the task of setting up the office; doing everything from ordering office equipment to personally visiting the warehouse that housed office furniture. It took several weeks to organize the installation of office equipment, computers, telephones and the like and eventually, after overseeing the completion of thirty or so work orders, we were ready to move.

When Ms. Satran and other managers from the seventh floor visited the office space, it became another point of contention as I had ensured it was a well laid out space. Mr. K. was an extremely competent man and had a vision for his department, deciding to move the department to Microsoft products exclusively. They could be easily integrated and was a smart move all around during that period in computer efficiencies.

Years later, I now realize Mr. K. was far too effective and efficient in his desire to ensure the department was fully integrated, and of course with that integration came new software that would enhance productivity but also make those in charge actually accountable for the first time in their careers at Verizon (NYNEX). They could no longer hide from their responsibilities but, as every component of their workload was electronically documented and easily reviewed by their superiors; budgets and the like were scrutinized like never before. Slush funds and the like were much more difficult to conceal.

Following my upgrade to permanent status, which took several years (after passing numerous company competency tests), I took advantage of the company’s tuition reimbursement program; working and taking night classes full time at New York University (eventually earning a degree). It was a grueling task, as was working with Mr. K. as he was effective because he could be somewhat demanding and had little time for excuses or inaction. It saddened me when I learned firsthand, that people I respected within the management ranks would support the destruction of the organization’s success and financial stability, when they didn’t personally profit from it.

One day I was in the elevator I ran into Anne F., the Brooklyn business office Manager. She advised, Ethel B. her African American Lead Supervisor with years of expertise was bypassed for an upgrade she very much desired and deserved. Anna F. told me in a tone I interpreted as regretful, as I think she, as did I, believe the denial was exclusively due to her race. I had seen enough to know how human resources in PubCom worked. It was despicable in my eyes. Of course, it was Ms. Satran who was the sole arbitrator over her career and any pay grade increase. When I learned that our old friend, and Son-in-Law of Director Steve O., Robert H., had received the coveted position, I was incensed.

I didn’t hold back how appalled I was at the news, although Anna F., always composed, neither agreed nor disagreed. I spoke with Tom about it, but he suggested there was nothing we could do and to stay focused on the work we were doing.

Ethel B. maintained many years of experience, and as I previously discussed, was extremely knowledgeable and, had she been well connected or Caucasian, would have proved the right person for the management position. …But this was PubCom, the rogue department in which few, if any minorities ascended to management positions, and was seemingly able to violate any policy, disenfranchise or terminate any employee, and even thwart their constitutional rights guaranteed under the U.S. constitution, all with the complicity of the AFL-CIO and impunity with State and Federal regulators.

As my title with Mr. K. had become more of a negotiator who attempted to obtain whatever was required to further expand and grow the system, Mr. K. and I started a dialogue regarding my promotion to management. I don’t think I need tell you how Ms. Satran took the news, but it wasn’t good. I was sitting in Mr. K’s office discussing one project he was developing when she called. I could overhear her boisterous disapproval of my management appointment, demanding that I was unfit and should never be considered for such a position. I had seen too much.

As a Manager, I finally commanded a little more respect when doing Mr. K’s bidding but was still disliked as I had to lean on or bypass several of them on Mr. K’s behalf. The word out in the field, as I learned more about how management and the AFL-CIO removed or “disabled” those who had the audacity to work hard or weren’t the appropriate race or creed to suit the decision makers, whenever it was possible, I would be targeted.

It wasn’t long after I became a Staff Manager that I learned we were merging with another Bell System company in the mid-Atlantic region (on the east coast). The newly formed company would be called Bell Atlantic and the new company’s top management in Maryland would lead the new organization. Although they continually suggested it was “a merger of equals” no such thing was true. Later, rebranded, Verizon.

Bell Atlantic, much like the name change to NYNEX, and again a couple of years later to Verizon, was partially done as they were serving an expanded marketplace and partially done to divorce themselves from the many fines received by regulators for deceiving its clientele. The people in the mid-Atlantic region were obviously bigger thieves and far more organized in their “Theft Dom” than were the dishonest folks at NYNEX.

I kept noticing the AFL-CIO union leadership in meetings with Ms. Satran. I suspected they were selling the workforce out, as many were wearing newly purchased thousand dollar suits and diamond rings that, after years watching them come and go, they hadn’t possessed until recently. I knew some scam was about to occur, as I had heard plenty over the years while working for Ms. Satran, and I was right. Quietly, it was announced that the new company would be downsizing, which was to be expected, but instead of retaining the unionized, mostly African American (or minority) business and sales offices in Brooklyn, the AFL-CIO rolled over and allowed them to retain the non-union, mostly Caucasian Business Office in the Boston area and close both Brooklyn offices. I knew the AFL-CIO was selling them out, and I wasn’t wrong.

Once Mr. K. learned of the announcement, we had to work fast to try and digitalize the sales office client records that were exclusively on hard copy or manually documented. Few, if any details had been documented within the internal database system that the sales office utilized. When I began speaking with these employees who I knew from my time working there, and the good will I’d amassed by giving them credit for their “Mission Possible” sales, I began to hear the company was treating them brutally.

The AFL-CIO refused to help as they, much like during the Bell System divestiture years earlier, targeting those at top wage, and/or forcing retirement on many loyal, hard-working employees, or, if not at retirement age would have to bid for other open positions within the newly created organization that was downsizing. Good luck on that. Obviously, I knew as did they, it’d be a blood bath but due to their relationship with me, they promised they would assist in providing as much customer information that they could acquire from within the many file cabinets in the office and some that was only known to the sales rep themselves and had never been documented.

Realizing documenting this data would be crucial and as the staff that was being forced out was less than enthusiastic to provide such to others, Mr. K. and I discussed creating a team to put the data in an electronic format before the entire workforce was just that, “forced” out. I developed training material and had to go around several managers who wanted only to damage the success of the project, like the manager overseeing the installation of a bank of telephones the staff would need to be in contact with the sales staff.

When I asked several Installers to work overtime, and paid them from our budget, the manager of the group, who insisted it’d take weeks to work the orders, was very upset. He was working with the AFL-CIO to make these employees appear incompetent so they could justify the closing of the facility and get their kick back.

Fully realizing time was of the essence as the employees at the sales office were already beginning to disband and forced to depart the company, Mr. K. escalated the project. I selected a group of temps from a temporary agency, utilizing the training materials to reach the maximum level of productivity, and gotthe Sales Managers onboard. I was surprised when James C., one of Mr. K’s employees who worked against him at every turn, suggested he would be happy to help. I should have realized that, as he was always trying to derail whatever Mr. K. was attempting to do, that I shouldn’t have trusted him, but hindsight is 20/20.  James C. took the master files and suggested they were unless, and buried the entire database built.

The closing of the Brooklyn business and sales offices was a massacre and the AFL-CIO did nothing to assist these long term employees that had given so much to the company’s and PubCom’s success; being on the front lines and, in most cases, the only voice of the company the customers knew. I was disgusted listening to the AFL-CIO leadership sit up in Ms. Satran’s office laughing and joking while all these employees were losing their jobs. The company in a feeble attempt to “appear” to assist in the employees transfer to another department, in essence only delayed their applications and many lost out on opportunities to remain with the newly formed organization. I strongly believe it was all done purposely, planned and executed by Ms. Satran and the AFL-CIO.

During this period the newly formed company offered very lucrative buy-out offers to their senior management employees, I was advised that Mr. K., whose wife had recently passed away, had planned to accept the package and would be departing the organization. I was alone again in the wolf pack. A name many New Yorkers would recognize, Diane G., had worked in the New York prosecutor’s office. Ms. G. became our new Executive Director. She was a no-nonsense kind of person and I didn’t know whether to trust or fear her. She immediately recognized the department was extremely dysfunctional, and for this, I felt she could prove effective in turning things around.

I never really got the chance to find out but I suspect Anne D. and Susan Satran approached Ms. G., intentionally disparaging my reputation right out of the box.

On the day after Mr. K’s retirement, I was assigned to join the new Marketing team. I was pulled aside and warned that the two women that I was to be working with had done something intheir prior department, the Yellow Page division, that they couldn’t discuss. The person, who I won’t name, advised me that they were “evil” and to be warned. Although I highly respected and trusted the person that gave me this information, and this person had never made any such statement about anybody, I put it in the back of my mind, not wanting it to “taint” my relationship with them.

Unfortunately, as I was to learn, they weren’t the only two that could be described in that manner, the entire group of four in the Marketing Team were unethical, dishonest, and quite, let me say it, evil. It would take numerous months collaborating with them to come to this conclusion, which, no doubt, will also be your assessment.

I went to Ms. Satran and, as they were both black, all but begged her to employ two employees from the temporary agency that I had used in the data transfer project (with the Brooklyn sales office), to work within the company. One Carol M. was placed in one office, and the other, Anna R., came to work with us within the newly formed PubCom Marketing GroupI had joined. Ms. Satran had brought them in as Temps, still employed by the temporary agency I had used. Anna was an excellent employee and was well liked by the entire group and worked approximately ten feet from the four of us.

Michael M., who was my second-level Manager, and the person I reported to. Mr. M. had begun as a Salesperson and rapidly, within a matter of a year or so, moved into management, then promoted to a second level Manager. Unlike Mr. K, whose integrity was unquestioned, Mr. M. was akin to Ms. Satran and Mr. B., and sadly, someone’s whose word was of no value.

Upon joining the newly formed Marketing team, Mr. M. made a bid to be promoted to a third level Manager or Director. Ms. G.prevented his rise to Director and he never forgave her for it. She was a smart woman and wasn’t easily bamboozled, but I think, much like Satran and her staff, looked down at the staff and would never intercede on anyone’s behalf no matter what the circumstance. This, in my eyes, makes her a poor leader and not someone who should have been placed in a position of authority. A true professional, especially an Executive Director, needs to have a connection to their staff, not in a mechanical manner, but a human one. Ms. G. simply didn’t maintain those skill sets and was never someone who you’d feel comfortable approaching. Her office was never open to speak with an employee.

Michael M.’s close friend, another second level Manager, also named Michael, came onboard at the District Office around the same period. His wife, the PubCom Security Director, was a woman lacking in principles who would stoop to any level to do the organization’s bidding. I would later learn exactly how unscrupulous and how little integrity she possessed.

Ms. C. and Ms. W., both Managers who I now worked with, had transferred, or escaped the Yellow Page Group as they themselves jubilantly shared with me, after utilizing the “Anonymous Hotline” to derail a male co-worker’s career (that they deemed a threat). I don’t believe that this was the only time they attempted to falsely accuse someone of some egregious act, as they were vicious and incapable of exhibiting basic human decency.

Laura C. and Susan W., initially were friendly, but it was only to give me a false sense of comfort. Personality disorder or whatever they suffered from, made both indeed “malevolent” and completely untrustworthy. I soon found they enjoyed hurting others, taking credit for other’s work and damaging the reputations and livelihood of anyone who they deemed a threat. But as you know, I’d dealt with that quite often in PubCom.

Their rushed transfer from the Yellow Page Group, after making false charges on the “Anonymous Hotline”, which the company investigated and found were “without merit”, didn’t end in charges against these two women. It was because they were women that the charge was believed initially, and when identified as falsehoods, charges, that, had a male or minority employee made a similar false charge, would have led to dismissal, was dismissed by the organization regardless of the facts. They were not even disciplined; this only emboldened them.

Our Temporary Marketing Director, Brian F. wasn’t around for a long time, but I have a couple of stories I’ll share that will tell you a little about Brian. Almost immediately, Michael M., my Manager, and our temporary Director were attempting to disparage my reputation and derail my career. I, still to this day, don’t understand the purpose behind it.

They brought down a second level Manager from Boston, who I had known from the seventh floor and originally believed was an ally. As I noted previously, many people within the organization felt I had been promoted illegitimately and hadn’t paid my dues; which was anything but the case. He gave me a project where I was to build a database that integrated searchable data from several sources and act as a resource that the department could utilize to focus on productivity and other issues. I was very much onboard with the project and tried relentlessly to obtain the data streams required to achieve our goals, to no avail.

When I approached Brian our Director to assist in prompting the Managers that maintained the data I required, he refused. The project never realized its potential albeit I put together whatever data I could obtain, it became just another PubCom project that failed due to other’s “empire building” agenda and desire not to be exposed. I was branded inept by our new Director in Maryland who oversaw our group in New York.

My belief was Verizon management were threatened by having the ability to determine exactly who were the barriers to achieving an increase in productivity, cost efficiencies, or were purposely (seemingly) attempting to damage the company’s effectiveness for personal gain. Itmay have also been to ensure any project I oversaw failed. It didn’t matter as real competition was still years away.

Susan W., approached me early in our relationship and asked if I’d write her Non-Public Marketing pamphlet, and she’d write my, Public piece. It was an odd request from a second-level Manager. The Non-Public pamphlet was to be used within the organization, outside and within PubCom, when the Public pamphlet, would be exclusive to our department. I thought nothing of it and wrote the pamphlet.

Brian brought me into his office and held out the Public pamphlet, believing I had written it and said I should learn from Susan’s example as it was far superior. When I advised I had actually written it, he dismissed me without saying another word. When Susan sent my pamphlet to the company, putting her name of it, the Bell Atlantic Marketing Team decided they wanted to use it. I had to laugh when, after sending it out claiming to be its Author, the person to whom it had been sent, changed one word and placed his name on it! Demons in our midst.

I only learned about this because she was extremely upset the “stolen” pamphlet wouldn’t be credited to her. When I approached Mr. M. about this breach of professionalism, he laughed and suggested he’d been in many meetings where the input and ideas of one Manager would be immediately plagiarized by his co-workers who would receive kudos for their contribution and bonuses based on their work. It was of no consequence in his questionable and warped work “ethic.”

Bell Atlantic, which had been recently formed and in the process of downsizing, asked each of us Management employees to document exactly why we were valuable to the organization and why they should continue our employment with them. PubCom management had never had to justify their role and their value to the organization as, I’ve previously stated, the money just flowed in. These were new times now, and paid-off regulators could no longer hold back competition due to the outcry of the public. Things were indeed changing.

The others within my group, believing this would be the end of my career, as the company was eliminating approximately twenty or more percent of its management roll, and the newly hired Managers were normally the first to go, were less than delighted when I make it through the process unscathed. Brian, a close friend and ally of the others, was demoted back down to a second level Manager, but in my estimate, should have been released.

Almost immediately after, Mr. M. requested I provide a report on what actions or measures I would personally put in place to improve profitability and productivity. Although I had a full time class load at New York University in the evenings, and my time was extremely limited, I spent hours of my own time putting together a comprehensive report that I submitted to Mr. M. One of my many proposals was a sliding scale reimbursement plan for those payphones that generated high yields, which increased their percentage at a particular revenue point, etc.

Shortly after, when Mr. M. was congratulated for all his efforts, most notably his “Sliding Scale Reimbursement Plan”, I realized he had plagiarized everything within my report for personal gain. No doubt he received thousands of dollars in bonuses based on my work. Never once did he give me any credit whatsoever for my contribution.

Around this period, we, as a team, where asked to fly to Maryland to meet our new Director who was working out of the Maryland office (outside of D.C.). I had to sit back as our idiot Director praised Mr. M.’s work and his “brilliant” proposals (although I never saw what was submitted to him I assume he used all my proposals as his). I spoke with another first level Manager who I briefly met, and he shared something similar had occurred to him.

What a dishonest group of people, and our newly appointed Director in Maryland was the most crooked of them all. That’s how you are promoted within Verizon, by taking advantage of everyone in your path (then and now)and willing to do the devil’s bidding. Han Vestberg, who is Verizon’s current CEO, and on the Blackrock Board of Directors, is the epitome of “Mendacious”.

When we returned from the trip, Mr. M. placed a box of files on my desk. He suggested it was all that he could find of the Change Card project, which he wanted me to break down. Since the departure of David C., and his replacement by Diane G., the pilot program had been disbanded and the Yellow Payphones in southern Manhattan had been removed. Oddly enough, the Change Cards themselves, had become collector’s items and were being sold to collectors, in many cases, for more than the dollar value on the card.

I was to process any returns from vendors that wished to return such, which many did. As we still retained many boxes of unsold cards, and many boxes of returned cards, I immediately wanted to secure what was being stored. Mr. M., unlike Irene P. and Bill K. who originally managed the project, kept the cards in a secure area with surveillance, suggested he had given the order to discontinue the surveillance within the facility.

As he had been a sales representative and sold these cards, obviously knowing all of the main vendors who purchased such at trade shows, I was leery, considering our relationship and his constant attempts to make me appear “inept”. He insisted on using my system username and password to personally process refunds for a handful of vendors. This made me very uncomfortable and I contacted our Maryland Director concerning such and the violation of my right to privacy and blatant violation of company policy (not to mention I didn’t trust the man). The Director refused to as much as reply to my emails. I had no choice but to allow him to disregard privacy policies within the organization, as going to the company directly was a waste of time.

PubCom seemingly had its own rules and no one in authority was ever asked to follow proper procedures, which they used to their advantage to remove those they wanted to force out or defraud. I suspected this was exactly what Mr. M. was attempting to do, so I visited the offsite PubCom storage area he had been in charge of, and I was appalled.

As I had assisted the original Change Card crew, who secured the cards like cash, and knew exactly how Mr. M. had received them, I was beside myself when I found boxes were spewedeverywhere, their contents spread out everywhere. It was obvious that Mr. M. had rifled through them to remove the change cards that were the most valued within the collector’s market.

As Mr. M. had only provided several boxes of files, knowing originally more than fifty had existed, I had hoped maybe they’d be found in the storage area. They were nowhere to be found and after questioning Mr. M. as to their location, he suggested he had only been given these. As no mechanism existed, according to Mr. M., to scan the barcode on each card, inventory or an audit could only be done manually.

One option I proposed, was to remove the card reader from one or several of the change card phones that could read them. I asked where the Yellow Phones (that had been removed) were located so I could put in a service order to have the scanner removed. Again, he suggested none were available. I was very nervous about the entire project. After requesting he allow me to submit a service order to have the surveillance reestablished, and his refusal, I wanted to have a witness and honestly needed help sorting this mess out.

I approached Ms. Satran, who had brought several temporary employees to work on the seventh floor and requested to utilize one for the project. She agreed. When I requested to use Judy, an African American who I knew to be competent, hard-working and an excellent employee, Ms. Satran absolutely lost her mind.  She made a statement that troubled me greatly and verified, what I had always known. She said; "Blacks were too stupid and dishonest to do anything but administrative work and I wouldn’t hire them unless I had to”

Angrily, she went back into her office and slammed the door. I used Judy regardless. This highly angered Ms.Satran who was plotting her revenge.

After all, I had seen working for Ms. Satran, how she literally cheated minorities like the Administrative staff who she openly mocked and treated like trash. Not to mention Warren J. who was terminated for speaking out only because Ms. Satran could get away with it.

After Ethel B. was bypassed by dishonest and corrupt people like Director Steve O. (with the complicity of Ms. Satran and the AFL-CIO leadership), I had had enough. Firstly, I went to Jesse Jackson’s office, who initially sounded very interested and appalled at what I had seen. As email and electronic correspondence wasn’t available I couldn’t document our discussions. I realized, after contacting them, and the New York NAACP that, as I had suspected, they too were in the company’s pocket and was being funneled millions of dollars to look the other direction.

No one from either office, after multiple contacts, would ever return my calls. Next, I went directly to company, and again, no one would get back to me. I was of the opinion, they agreed with Ms. Satran, which only further outraged me.

On my own, I visited the facility where the cards were stored several times and noticed the cards kept disappearing. Boxes and boxes of ten and twenty dollar cards (each held literally hundreds) disappeared. I requested to do an official audit or inventory, again Mr. M. refused. I started believing, with his contacts within the industry, he was selling the cards back to the vendors (after they returned them), then personally refunded them (which I suspect he split with them). He kept, not only the files from me, but also what, under my system number he was reimbursing. I sent another email and called our Director with my concerns, to no avail.

Diane G. called me into her office and requested an estimate of the outstanding refunds and what to anticipate. I advised that I wasn’t privy to the files, and that I’d been denied the ability to do an audit. I’d hoped she would be as outraged as was I, but she took it in stride only pressing me for a number. What was quoted is obviously proprietary. I was defeated and knew they were purposely attempting to derail my career with the complicity of Ms. G.

I knew, if I contacted the company directly, as with my attempted discrimination report, that it would be forwarded directly to Diane G., then to Mr. B., and finally to Ms. Satran, and nothing would be done. I wasn’t actually certain if they weren’t involved directly with the theft, but, doubt it. Any report to the company would also put my job in even further jeopardy. I had the cards sent to the office to secure them (as so few boxes now existed) and Mr. M. stopped me before I could do an impromptu inventory. He insisted I return them to the insecure storage area.

As I had no hardcopy files and no documentation as to what had been sold or returned, I had to request every vendor that contacted me for a refund (many had already returned their stock, little of which would be located), to forward their paperwork. It’d make the company and me appear completely incompetent. Exactly what Mr. M. was attempting to do.

Then he approached me and ordered me to pay every five-dollar card, ten. Ten, twenty, I refused. This was a blatant violation of ethics and could, if reported to the SEC, FCC or Public Utilities Commission would be considered a criminal offense. I advised if he wished to document his directive in writing and sign it, I’d forward it to our Director for final approval. He refused. I guess you can see where this is going, and you’d be right. I contacted our Director and advised what I had been ordered to do and gave him several examples of what these “overpayments” would cost the company if I were to follow his directive.

Again, our Director in Maryland refused to acknowledge my email requests or voicemails, and as he considered Mr. M. his “golden boy,” and me a nuisance and someone unqualified for the position; they were completely ignored. I was shocked that the theft of possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars of company property didn’t faze him one bit. No doubt Mr. M. told him something quite different, and as he was my boss, our Director disregarded me and my concerns out of hand. An absolutely inept human being who should never had been promoted to Director.

I held steadfast and refused to follow his directive. Michael M.truly wanted to destroy me and I knew it was his objective. At this point, Laura C. and Susan W. were attempting in addition, to make me appear a “threat” to them. Susan W. had been informed that one of the projects she had worked on, might lead to her dismissal. I learned this from people around the office and that I would be the person possibly considered for her second level position.

Ms. W. had placed the wrong 800 number on each faceplate (the plastic card on the payphone) installed on every payphone in both New York and New England. This affected (approximately) 300,000-400,000 payphones, costing the company (considering many of these phones in rural areas were fifty miles from the installation office that serviced them) literally hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars to fix.

It was a monumental failure and I never said a word about it. She was becoming erratic and irrational and this made me nervous. She, probably hearing the rumor I heard, began being extremely rude to me and I believe both her and Laura began accessing my computer while I was working with Judy upstairs and plotting my demise. Most likely utilizing their old standard, the “anonymous hotline.”

One high-level Senior Manager in Maryland, wishing to publish a PubCom newsletter asked if I would contribute an article for it. None of my group was asked. I submitted such and he utilized it for the newsletter. He visited me several times, discussing a second, which further enraging the group as it appeared I might be promoted or was at least being recognized.

Several weeks later, I again visited the facility that stored the change cards that Mr. M. had me return to the facility, and several more boxes had disappeared. I was fuming and went to Mr. M. advising it was imperative we did an inventory. I didn’t want to say “audit” as it would place responsibility directly with him.

Obviously, my calls to Jesse Jackson, the NAACP and the company, made after Ms. Satran’s comments and Ethel B.’s issue, were known by Ms. Satran and the tension in the office was unbelievable. I decided as there was no other option, and it appeared as though my job was in jeopardy, to ask Judy to meet me at the facility and we’d do an impromptu inventory, which I’d take to regulators.

When Judy didn’t show up, I learned Mr. M. had demanded she take the day off. When I went back to the office I was ordered to destroy the cards and he had already set up a time and date to do such. My only option was to place a security report regarding the stolen cards. As they had disappeared while I was on the project, I knew for certain they were being stolen but was careful not to accuse anyone other than denoting boxes had disappeared. All other details were omitted.

I filed a formal electronic report to our PubCom Security Department, which the company is legally required to share with the SEC, FCC and Public Utilities Commission. I believe it was illegally “dismissed” by Mr. M.’s friend, the Director of Security and never shared with regulators.

I immediately contacted our Director concerning my security report that I had tried previously to discuss with him. He did reply this time, advising me to follow Mr. M. ’s orders and move ahead with the destruction of the remaining cards. I realized they wanted to cover up the thefts, it was obvious to me. When the day came to destroy the cards, I was very apprehensive and was considering contacting these agencies directly, but knew they’d simply ignore me as they were on the company’s payroll. Of course, the total weight from the facility can identify how many cards were stolen (albeit not the dollar amounts), which is an excellent place to start.

While at the facility overseeing the destruction of the cards, Mr. M. and Satran, using Susan W. and Laura C., filed sexual harassment charges against me using their favorite tool, the “Anonymous Hotline”. Even Ms. Satran and my old friend, Anne D. got involved suggesting I’d sexually harassed them too. I wasn’t shocked they did something to remove me but really hadn’t believed they’d actually attempt to destroy my reputation, livelihood, and ability to obtain work in the future as I’d be considered a sexual offender.

Anne D., now an Official with Nassau County, New York, is a corrupt and dishonest woman and works in a sensitive (elected) position where she controls the lives of others. I fear for those under her rule, because I know who she really is and what she’s capable of. I recently, prior to completing my book, filed ethics charges against her but Nassau County refused to investigate nor file charges. In fact, they refused to even reply. Tell me that’s not an ethics violation, but unfortunately, is representative of the corrupt system of justice in the United States and no one will ever be held responsible.

Although many of the Managers and all of the female Administrators with whom I worked with directly for several years, including Anna R., who worked literally ten feet from us, and my Assistant on the charge card project, Judy, dismissed the charges as false, it didn’t matter. I learned the Director of Security (Mr. M.’s buddy), was responsible for requesting the Security Director illegally dismiss my security report regarding the stolen cards (prior to properly reporting it to authorities or investigating). As a public utility, not initiating any investigation whatsoever is a crime. The Security Director’s actions were not only a breach of ethics that violated company policy, but an illegal action that should have resulted in prison time.

Instead of investigating my security filing, the Security Director, a close friend of Mr. M. then initiated the knowingly fraudulent sexual harassment charges against me. The Security Investigator, Kevin (I believe) assigned to the case, was also a good friend of Michael M.’s, with whom he had attended college and they had known each other personally for years. They must have had a big laugh that they could just violate federal law, dismiss any company policies, not report their actions to authorities (which is their obligation to regulators). I wonder how much Kevin and the Security Director received from the stolen property. Sadly, all of them did this while carrying around their Bibles claiming to be Christians.

The following day after their filing, Susan W. turned to me with a smirk and said “Bye, bye”. Within a matter of two days, (with Anna R. ten feet from us) Mr. M. reported to the company that I had threatened them in the office and that I was “stalking” these women. Following them after they left the office. Now, let’s forget I was attending classes at NYU in the evening and could prove this was another in a long list of blatant lies. Facts didn't matter, nor did laws, regulations, or conflicts of interest. Not in Verizon’s PubCom where demons run the show then and now.

The Director in Maryland, finally contacted me, only to tell me I was to leave the office and clean out my desk. Although I submitted a report outlining everything, had numerous Managers and others standing up on my behalf, and the fact I was gay, simply didn’t matter. Ms. Satran wanted me out, and out I was. I attended my disciplinary meeting a month later, which was nothing but a kangaroo court, and I advised everything was covered in my statement. One Director, Gerry D., (I believe, after supporting me) was demoted back to second level. It didn’t matter his wife was suffering from cancer and this would reduce his benefits and salary greatly.

I was prompted to resign or criminal charges, which would lead to being on the sex offender list, could become a reality The scam was complete and I resigned. Ms. Satran, Ms. G., Mr. B., Mr. M., Ms. D., the Security Director, the AFL-CIO, and the others involved could now breathe a sigh of relief. But, not so fast… Maybe, just maybe, all these years later, something could be done for all those affected by these disgraceful and dishonorable human beings that might lead to some compensation for all the victims (many who I feel will come forward).

After my resignation though, they weren’t through. Verizon parked a van directly in front of the window of my first floor apartment in Manhattan and filmed me 24/7.  I was followed all around Manhattan constantly (too foolish not to change company vehicles or their license plates). They did so even when I met with numerous people including Mr. K. (after retirement), and he noted how many of the Managers on the floor, the Admins, Judy and Anna R. stood up suggesting their charges were absolutely false. He didn’t say it but hinted that everyone was threatened by the company to stay silent.

I met privately with Judy and Anna R. as well, but was concerned that their careers would also be affected. I don’t know what became of them, or if Ms. Satran dropped them off the payroll, but wouldn’t be surprised.

I tried several things like placing “defamation” charges against Susan W., Laura C. and Michael M., which gave me great pleasure when the Sheriff’s Department served each one of them at the job in front of all their co-workers.

As they were for 50k each, they would have had to bring it home and discuss the entire situation to their loved ones, who undoubtedly, knew their character better than anyone. I wondered if Mr. M. ’s wife didn’t sit there and ponder, what role did her dishonorable husband play? I had to eventually drop the cases as I was unable to obtain any Attorney that would even look at the case. As back in this era, admitting you were gay would only make things worse and not help my case as I was advised by friends at the time.

I brought my case to the New York Attorney General’s office and was literally shocked by their response. Although my Representative was African American, she said to me (I’ll never forget her words) “You men need to realize you can’t harass women anymore. I’m closing your case.” She hung up the phone, and that essentially ended the entire matter…that is, until now. I also contacted all of the regulators, none would take an official report; they were protecting their tax base and one person’s victimization meant nothing when billions of dollars are in jeopardy.

The time has come to document my experience for the people who were violated by this mega corporation who, by filling the pockets of politicians, legislators, regulators, the AFL-CIO, Jesse Jackson, organizations like the NAACP and the NGOs that support them, can get away with any egregious action, break any law, or thwart any ethical or moral code with impunity.I’m hoping this may help change that. Unfortunately, my efforts did little to change the culture at Verizon itself.

Had these employees worked for an ethical organization represented by an honest union (unlike the AFL-CIO, Communication Workers of America) imagine what they could have achieved for themselves, their families and their loved ones.

Go in peace, and thank you for reading