Bargaining Update

Victory for Verizon Workers in New Agreement

They stood strong for 45 days in the largest strike in recent history. Now, nearly 40,000 Verizon workers are celebrating big gains after reaching a tentative agreement with the company.

Verizon will add 1,300 new East Coast call center jobs, keep open call centers that had been threatened with closure, and strengthen retirement security, among other gains. They will also deliver the first-ever contract for about 70 Verizon Wireless retail store employees.

"We secured a contract our members can be proud of. It secures additional good middle class jobs for our members in the Mid-Atlantic and keeps them in our communities," said CWA District 2-13 Vice President Ed Mooney. "I am so proud of the members for standing together and standing up for themselves; our communities, the customers and their families."

"The members' unity and determination defeated company proposals to outsource and contract out work, and the new agreement will create a total of 1,500 new union jobs up and down the East Coast," said Dennis G. Trainor, Vice President of CWA District One. "Together, we are turning the tide from cutbacks against working people to building a stronger labor movement and strengthening the power of working Americans."

A sky banner greeted Verizon workers in Hamilton, New Jersey, as their first shift after the strike began.

Check out these great videos of our members celebrating the agreements, in District 1 and District 2-13.

Read the details of the agreement here.

Read some of the media coverage about the strike here.

OFS

The contract covering nearly 300 CWA members at OFS from CWA Locals 1400 (Sturbridge, Mass.) and 3263 (Norcross, Ga.) has been extended until June 29, and the CWA bargaining team continues to push hard for a fair contract. 

OFS, once part of the former Lucent, is owned by Furukawa Electric and is their top performer. OFS's profits have more than doubled over the last year. OFS is a leading manufacturer of fiber optic cable and products.

CWA Telecommunications and Technologies President Lisa Bolton said members are mobilizing and putting pressure on OFS to recognize the sacrifices they have made in past years. "Our members want a fair contract," she said.

AT&T West

AT&T West members of CWA Local 9003, who handle "611" calls, or customer calls about service problems, rallied in North Hollywood for a fair contract. Bargaining is continuing. Get the latest updates here.

Members of CWA Local 9003 rallied in North Hollywood for a fair contract.