Photo by christaki.

With vocal demonstrations, a strike by unionized Verizon workers has officially arrived around the D.C. region.

Yesterday, some of the 45,000 members of the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers that are disputing the telecommunications company’s demands for cuts to worker benefits began their holdout in earnest along the East Coast — and with approximately 4,000 workers in Maryland and hundreds more in the District joining in, protests at various Verizon locations are expected to continue, perhaps for up to a month. Today, a large group of workers are picketing the Chesapeake Complex at 13100 Columbia Pike in Silver Spring, while some factions of the union are pledging to set up shop outside of Verizon Wireless retail locations. (They certainly aren’t without options in the Washington area — and we have to imagine that it’s only a period of time before picketers set up shop in front of the Verizon Center.)

Meanwhile, Verizon is already blaming striking workers for sabotaging fiber optic line and blocking access to Verizon property around Maryland.

If you have Verizon phone, television or internet service, you might want to add in a little extra time for technical support, since it doesn’t sound like this battle will be simmering down anytime soon.