CWA Members Ratify Verizon Contract Affecting 34,000

Verizon union members in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic officially have approved a new four-year labor contract with the telecommunications provider.

Communications Workers of America (CWA) officially ratified the deal, which covers approximately 34,000 employees — mainly technicians and call-center workers. Negotiations resulted in increased retirement benefits and an 11.2 percent wage increase over four years. The contract was set to expire in August 2019 but now will be in effect until August 2013.

CWA’s Dennis Trainor

“This agreement builds on the success of the 2016 strike, and it will ensure a better future and good, family-supporting jobs for thousands of Verizon workers,” said Dennis Trainor, CWA District 1 vice president. “This agreement reflects the more constructive relationship between CWA and Verizon that has developed since the strike.”

Verizon also made an agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, whose members have yet to approve the deal. The three parties reached a deal in July.

“We saw the early negotiations with Verizon as an opportunity to make improvements for our members while avoiding the lengthy conflict we experienced two years ago,” said Ed Mooney, who leads CWA District 2-13 covering Pennsylvania to Virginia. “This is a solid contract for Verizon workers that will improve wages and raise the living standards of our members across the region.”

CWA signed a deal with Frontier for a 2,700 California workers last month. Meantime, the CWA says AT&T “continues to stonewall” in discussions for new Midwest and “Legacy T” contracts. Union officials have characterized CEO Randall Stephenson as outsourcing too many jobs and going against his word following the federal government’s recent corporate tax cuts.