The leaders of the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers called a strike on Wednesday, the latest development in the negotiations between the unions and Verizon. Approximately 40,000 workers on the East Coast began the strike at 6 a.m. The Vermont senator made an appearance at the Verizon picket line in Brooklyn on Wednesday. "They want to avoid paying federal income taxes. In other words, this is just another major American corporation trying to destroy the lives of working Americans," the presidential hopeful said. Hillary Clinton echoed some of Sanders' concerns about the ongoing negotiations between Verizon and the Communications Workers of America in a Wednesday statement.

"We should be doing all we can to keep good-paying jobs with real job security in New York. Instead, Verizon wants to outsource more and more jobs," Clinton said. "That would mean walking away from workers who have been part of their family and our communities for years."

Lowell McAdam, Verizon CEO Justin Solomon | CNBC