Verizon Unions Avert Strike

LYNN – The agreement reached between Verizon Communications Inc. and two unions to prevent a devastating strike has local workers rejoicing.
“This is one of the better contracts we?ve been able to get,” said Ed Starr, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2321, which represents 43 communities across the North Shore and the Merrimack Valley. “People are happy they didn?t have to strike. They would have done it, but in this economy, they said, ?Hey, we?re close to a deal. Let?s stop the clock and stay at the bargaining table.?”
Combined, IBEW and Communications Workers of America (CWA) represent nearly 65,000 employees. They agreed just hours before their deadline on Sunday on a three-year contract that allows for 10.5 percent wage increases over three years, more job opportunities, and better retirement benefits.
“It?s actually quite a monumental achievement to obtain the benefits we have,” said Starr.
Workers originally set a strike date for Aug. 7, but when the company showed signs of change, they decided to work under their expired contract while negotiators remained at the table.
“We were ready to strike,” said Starr. “We had the signs made and everything?It was a long, drawn out process, but it turned out to benefit the members.”
The agreement will also add newer members to the unions, increasing their presence within the company, said Starr. When Verizon bought out MCI WorldCom in January 2006, their technicians remained under the non-union network and without the many benefits their unionized co-workers had. The new deal, however, will recognize 600 former MCI technicians and an additional 900 temporary employees.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen said the deal “provides a framework for growth at Verizon and a good standard of living with careers for our members.”
The agreement affects 8,000 workers in Massachusetts and 1,200 others in Rhode Island, a union spokesman said.
Verizon?s Executive Vice President Marc C. Reed said the contract will allow the company to remain “focused on delivering to our customers the best in broadband, communications and entertainment.”
A walkout could have delayed installations and repairs of telephone and broadband lines. An 18-day strike in 2000 left a backlog of 230,000 orders and repair requests.
?Once the deadline came close and the company started giving in on our demands, we decided we?re better off serving the customers and sitting at the bargaining table than we are striking,” said Starr. “One of the main reasons we didn?t strike was that we didn?t want to disturb the customers.”
Company spokesman Eric Rabe said both sides bargained by phone and e-mail Saturday, broke for a few hours of rest and resumed talks Sunday afternoon.
Job security and health care were among the main points of contention. They were negotiated in 2003, after a threatened strike was averted when federal mediators joined the talks. That settlement was for a five-year contract.
The proposed new contract applies to workers in 10 northeastern and mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C., 50,000 of them CWA members and 15,000 in the IBEW.
IBEW president Ed Hill said the talks “met our goals to protect the retirees who helped to build this company and ? ensure future jobs for union members.”
The union workers are in the traditional telephone part of the company, which is engaged in the labor-intensive process of replacing most of its copper phone lines with optical fiber. Verizon Wireless, the company?s big growth driver, has few union employees.
A key element of the agreement was a provision for the company to contribute a fixed dollar amount per year of service toward future retiree health care costs. In addition, Verizon said it and the unions would work together on a health care reform initiative.
Members now have to vote on the agreement. Those in the Local 2321 wil