Verizon Contract Talks Continue; No Immediate Service Impact Expected
Contract negotiations between Verizon and unions representing wireline workers continued Monday. The Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) called a strike after the contract for 45,000 employees throughout the mid-Atlantic region expired 11:59 p.m. Saturday without agreement on issues like healthcare and pensions. Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., “is monitoring the situation and encouraging the parties to work towards an agreement,” his spokeswoman said.
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The parties met Monday and talks are continuing, a CWA spokeswoman said. The unions claimed Verizon canceled three meetings over the weekend, which the company denied. Talks are ongoing, a spokesman for the telco said. “We're meeting with the unions and are willing to negotiate the issues on the table at any time.” Employees are waiting for management to show it’s ready to bargain, the CWA spokeswoman said. Verizon employees have been waiting since June 22 for that, she said. Even at contract expiration, Verizon continued to demand $1 billion in concessions per year -- $20,000 per worker, she said. The employees affected are mostly technical and customer service workers, she said.
Verizon customers are noticing minimal impact from the strike, a company spokesman said. The company has repaired at least 12 acts of sabotage to its communications facilities in four states starting Saturday and continuing after the strike began, he said. Verizon claimed some pickets have unlawfully blocked Verizon managers’ access to numerous company work centers and garages. Verizon has been preparing for a strike or other adverse job action for months, he said. Verizon managers are trained to assist customers in various functions, including network repairs, customer service and billing and other critical duties, he said. “We're confident in our ability to continue to provide the best possible customer service.”
The telecom market is highly competitive, so Verizon is asking its workers to join in helping the company remain competitive moving forward, he said. Spending in areas like healthcare continues to grow, he said. Verizon’s healthcare proposal is a meaningful way of addressing economic realities, he said. Even with contributions to healthcare coverage, Verizon’s proposal would still ensure that employee benefits remain “near the top of those offered by comparable companies,” he said.
Thousands of striking workers are joining picket lines and rallies at Verizon offices from Massachusetts to Virginia, the CWA spokeswoman said. Picket lines are going up in Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C., she said. “It’s Verizon’s intent that under a new contract, Verizon employees will continue to receive competitive pay and benefit programs,” said Executive Vice President of Human Resources Marc Reed.