Unions and politicians will hold a rally on Sunday in Charleston to protest Verizon's plan to sell thousands of landlines to Frontier. The president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers said that the sale would result in poor customer service, as well as higher prices. He also said that the sale might result in a lack of broadband internet access for customers. The Communications Workers of America has also come out against the proposed sale and is urging its members to attend the rally. The West Virginia Public Service Commission will hold hearings next week, and the consumer advocate division and the commission's staff have come out against the proposal. The Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and three other states support the deal.
See "Unions to rally against sale of Verizon landlines", Paul Wyche, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, January 7, 2010