Some 45,000 unionized workers at Verizon have entered their second day on strike. The strike was called after negotiations broke down between Verizon and two unions representing the workers, Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Verizon was attempting to cut health and pension benefits for workers and make it easier for the company to fire workers. Verizon, the nation’s second-largest U.S. phone carrier, earned $6.9 billion in net income for the first six months of the year. It is the first strike at Verizon in 11 years.