23 August, 2011IMF-affiliated Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), reached agreement with Verizon on August 20 on how bargaining will proceed and how it will be restructured.
USA: The collective bargaining agreement between CWA and Verizon expired on August 6.
For the new agreement, Verizon wanted to freeze and eliminate pensions, increase offshoring of jobs, slash health care plans and eliminate disability payments for injured workers. In total Verizon had nearly 100 concession demands, despite profits of US$19.5 billion and payments of US$258 million to its top five executives in the last four years.
According to the new agreement on how to proceed, the existing contract will be back in force for an indefinite period, but can be terminated by either party by providing seven days notice after September 20.
Members of CWA and IBEW at Verizon Communications who have been striking since August 7 will return to work on Tuesday, August 23. The major issues remain to be discussed, but issues have been focused and narrowed. The unions will now focus on bargaining fairly and moving forward.
CWA and IBEW represent 45,000 workers at Verizon covered by this contract from Virginia to New England.
Contact: Candice Johnson, CWA Communications, [email protected].