Verizon and a union began formal arbitration on the union’s claim...
Verizon and a union began formal arbitration on the union’s claim that terms of Verizon’s $2.7 billion agreement to transfer its northern New England landline assets to FairPoint Communications violate Verizon’s labor contract. System Council T-6 of the International…
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Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) represents 2,500 Verizon workers affected by the merger in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. The union said the merger agreement’s job transfer terms violate a contract provision limiting involuntary job transfers for employees hired before August 2003. “We're saying the merger agreement Verizon has with FairPoint violates the contract, and we're going to let an arbitrator decide if that allegation is true,” a union spokesman said. Arbitration began Thursday at Verizon’s New England headquarters in Boston, with eight sessions scheduled through September. The IBEW said if it wins, “it would be incumbent upon Verizon and FairPoint to change their agreement to be in compliance with the contract,” since FairPoint vows to honor the pact. The spokesman said an arbitration victory would not change IBEW opposition to the merger. Verizon said the deal with FairPoint “doesn’t violate any contract provisions.” FairPoint declined to comment, saying the matter is between Verizon and the IBEW.