CWA District 9 Reaches Tentative Contract at Verizon West

CWA's District 9 bargaining team reached a tentative three-year contract with Verizon West that boosts wages by 8.25 percent, holds the line against health care cost shifting and ensures that a new sales incentive compensation plan for customer service representatives remains voluntary.

CWAers at Verizon West take fair contract fight to Santa Monica.

The agreement also requires Verizon to discuss ways to reduce subcontracting and the offshoring of jobs.

The tentative contract covers more than 5,500 workers in California.

CWA District 9 Vice President Jim Weitkamp credited members' strong and steady bargaining mobilization efforts as a major factor in reaching the agreement. "Members and their families stood behind their negotiating team and kept up the fight for the quality contract they deserved," he said.

"With that support, we maintained quality healthcare, accomplished pay increases that reflect members' efficiency, and moved work from Verizon Business and the Video Hub into this collective bargaining agreement. This should bring additional good paying jobs to California," said Weitkamp.

CWA locals built public support and helped keep pressure on the company. This included a resolution adopted by the Long Beach City Council that supported CWA's call to keep quality jobs in the community by corporations that have city contracts.

The tentative agreement will be submitted to members for a ratification vote.  More details are available at district9.cwa-union.org.