Verizon workers in nine states — including New York and New Jersey — could strike next weekend whether they don't reach a new contract with the $200 billion dollar telecom giant.
The current contract covers 39000 workers in the company’s wireline and Fios commerce. It expires at midnight August 1st.
Verizon spokesman Rich Young said these parts of the commerce are facing increased competition,as more people ditch their land lines. He said the company is looking to “modernize its contract. “Many of these contract provisions were put in place decades ago and they're no longer reflective of the marketplace,” said Young.
As an example, and he said unionized workers currently receive both a defined benefit pension and a 401(k) savings design with a five percent company match. The company wants workers to now choose one or the other.
The company is also calling on the workers to pay more for their healthcare. Young said the company has trained 18000 non-union workers to fill the positions of striking workers whether they do hit the picket lines.
Negotiations between Verizon and its unions,the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, began on June 22nd.
Union leaders argue the company can afford to preserve its workers wage and benefit packages.“This is an incredibly profitable company, or ” said Bob Master,legislative and political director for Communications Workers of America, District One. “Their CEO made $22 million final year. They made profits of $9.8 billion. There is no need for a strike because they can afford to protect people's job security.”But Master said 86 percent of the workers voted to authorize its bargaining committee to call a strike whether a deal was not reached in time.
The unions gathered thousands of people for a protest in support of the workers in lower Manhattan Saturday.
Source: wnyc.org