Members of the two unions that went on strike-the CWA and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers-must vote on the agreement, which is expected to take place in the next two or three weeks.
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Union workers agreed to the four-year deal on Friday.
Verizon reached a series of tentative agreements Sunday and Monday with two major unions representing almost 40,000 striking workers, most likely bringing an end to a 6 1/2-week work stoppage. Verizon will also add 1,300 unionized call center jobs on the East Coast, even though it wanted to shut down call centers in the U.S.
It also wanted the union workers, around one-fifth of its USA work force, to agree to move to different regions when needed, which the union opposed.
The Communications Workers of American Union President Chris Shelton said in a prepared statement that a new agreement was reached and was a victory for the working family.
“This tentative contract is an important step forward in helping to end this six-week strike and keeping good Verizon jobs in America”, said IBEW President Lonnie R. Stephenson.
The new contract guarantees that a greater percentage of customer service work will be handled by unionized workers.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA), one of the two unions involved in negotiations with America’s largest wireless provider, originally demanded a pay rise of 10.9 percent for its members through 2020, but Verizon agreed only to a 10.5 percent hike. “They also include key changes sought by the company to better position our wireline business for success in the digital world”, said Marc Reed, chief administrative officer at Verizon, in a statement.
Verizon workers on strike walk in front of the Verizon Central Office, April 13, 2016 in Washington, DC.
Employees covered by the new contract will get a 10.5% wage increase; the contract will expire on August 3, 2019. But surprisingly they were able to survive for about seven weeks. Three of the five call centers in upstate NY that the company was planning on closing will also remain open.
On Memorial Day, Verizon reported that the company has signed tentative agreements with the CWA on new contracts covering CWA-represented East associates.
Cuts in accident and disability benefits that Verizon had proposed were also withdrawn.
The company and the Communications Workers of America union announced a tentative deal to include 1,300 new call center jobs, almost 11 percent in raises over four years and the first contract for Verizon wireless store workers.
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On Monday, Verizon and its 40,000 hourly workers announced a tentative agreement, and most importantly, a return to work for most members on June 1.
