Interesting, I had to go searching, but here's the info on the firing of Verizon employees:

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/10/verizo...

Meh, this is just union posturing to try to save obsolete jobs.

"The wireless home phone service, VoiceLink, is not a proper replacement for copper phone lines because it doesn’t work with security alarms, fax machines, medical devices such as pacemakers that require telephone monitoring, and other services, the union said."

Really? Verizon should be maintaining and repairing obsolete infrastructure so people can keep using fax machines? GMAFB.