One week into the walk-out by CWA and IBEW from Verizon Communications has shown us very differning sides of the argument. The unions have been continually stressing the one main point that Verizon's demands for concessions will send thousands of middle class workers into a much more difficult economic situation. Union members in many states claim that they earn a living wage, and Verizon's "sweeping demands" would send them falling out of the middle class.
See "Strikers Trade Barbs With Verizon", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, August 14, 2011