CWA, IBEW authorize strike if no deal signed with Verizon

Jim O'Neill — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:25:37 -0400

CWA and IBEW members overwhelmingly voted to approve a walkout if negotiations with Verizon don’t produce a deal by Aug. 2, reports Crain’s New York Business. Union leaders said 91 percent of the 65,000 East Coast Communications Workers of America union members were on board for a work action or strike. An additional 15,000 mostly out-of-state workers who are represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers also voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike.

“That’s pretty much standard procedure,” a Verizon spokesman said. “It really doesn’t mean anything about the tenor of the negotiations.”

At issue? The usual: wages, health care, work rules and protection of union jobs, potentially the sticking point as Verizon looks for ways to cut costs. In 2000, the CWA staged an 18-day strike; it extended negotiations in 2003 to avert a walkout. This time around, striking a deal could be more difficult.

For more:
- See the story in Crain’s New York Business

Related articles:
CWA votes on strike authorization CWA report
Qwest is looking at contract talks, too Qwest contract report

Qwest wants union contracts before DNC hits Denver

Jim O'Neill — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:38:58 -0400

With the Democrats coming to Denver in August and the GOP heading to Minneapolis in September - both Qwest-served cities - the Denver-based telco is more than usually motivated to ensure labor peace as contracts for much of its workforce, including 21,000 CWA employees, get set to expire Aug. 16.

Qwest and the Communications Workers of America already are talking and both say the goal is to wrap up a deal before the conventions. Of course, if you ask, you'd find out that Qwest has a strike strategy in place, just in case.

Qwest has a lot at stake at both conventions, having committed $6 million in cash and in-kind services to each event for telephone, Internet and data services.

The crux of the negotiations this time around are wages, health care benefits and some scheduling concerns. The CWA and Qwest have had smooth sailing contractually since 2001, when Qwest bought former baby Bell US West.

For more:
- See the AP story

Related articles:
Qwest scrambles as DNC nears DNC report
Qwest battles retirees over insurance Retiree report

Wages

CWA, IBEW authorize strike if no deal signed with Verizon

Qwest wants union contracts before DNC hits Denver