Verizon Communications Inc. announced early Sunday morning that it will continue negotiations with two unions representing 39,000 workers from Massachusetts to Virginia, following the expiration of the current contract at midnight.
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Last week, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and worldwide Brotherhood of Electrical Workers that represent over 37,000 wireline employees said they had voted to go on strike, if needed, after their contract expired on August. 1 at midnight.
Those employees work for Verizon’s wireline unit, which provides fixed-line phone services and FiOS Internet, telephone and TV service.
The negotiations are continuing, Verizon spokesman Richard Young said on Saturday, according to Bloomberg. No new bargaining sessions have been scheduled, representatives on both sides said Sunday.
Verizon workers in Delaware are planning rallies as their labor contract with the telecommunications giant is set to expire. “As of last week, the unions were still providing the Company with their initial proposals”. For example, Verizon would require union employees to choose between continuing to earn pension benefits or receiving company matching funds for an enhanced 401(k) retirement savings plan. CWA contends the company wants changes that would result in forced job transfers and could eliminate thousands of jobs through outsourcing and subcontracting.
“That sort of proposal is unrealistic and out-of-touch in today’s marketplace”. “We’re very far apart in negotiations because Verizon a very profitable company is insisting on outrageous demands for kickbacks on just about every important issue”, Candice Johnson, a spokeswoman for the CWA, said. “Verizon is looking to get rid of even more good community-based jobs by extensive contracting out, by offshoring our work”.
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Since June, the trade unions have also been in talks along with Verizon in the business’s offers to make expenditures by directing nursing and pension-related advantages with a three-year period of time.
