Labor negotiations for 38,000 union employees ongoing; Verizon has prepped for potential strike
Contract talks for some 38,000 unionized Verizon employees are not going well, according to dispatches from Communication Workers of America labor leaders.
In a July 13 bargaining update, leadership for CWA District 1, which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont – said the union is reviewing information provided by Verizon reps and will “wait for more information that has been previously requested.”
The bargaining update report continued: “We are less than three weeks from expiration and Verizon is hell-bent on destroying this union and its members’ standards of living. Locals and members need to continue their mobilization efforts. Keep up the fight for a fair and just contract.”
Verizon is working on a three-year contract with representatives from the Communication Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
When CWA and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers last called a strike in 2011, it led to 45,000 Verizon workers walking off the job.
With that in mind, Verizon has begun training more than 15,000 nonunion employees to take over in the event of a strike.
Verizon spokesman Richard Young told RCR Wireless News, “Verizon is in the process of training more than 15,000 nonunion company employees to provide backfill and to ensure the continuation of services, in the event of a work stoppage by the unions. These employees are receiving training in various customer service functions, repair and maintenance, and in other areas. We need to ensure that any dispute between our company and the unions does not impact our customers.”
In a July 10 bargaining update, CWA leaders reported that the union offered up proposals regarding health, dental and vision coverage for active and retired members “which are in deep contrast to the company’s healthcare proposals, which would raise healthcare costs for our members by up to 143%.”
The CWA and IBEW are planning a July 25 rally at Verizon headquarters at 140 West St. in New York City.
