CWA President Says Bell Atlantic/NYNEX Merger Is "Good for the Economy and the Consumers of New York

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Morton Bahr of the Communications Workers of America, the union representing employees of NYNEX and Bell Atlantic, issued the following statement in response to the Attorney General's filing to the PSC on the proposed merger:

"We take issue with the attorney general's conclusions. In fact, this proposed merger is in the best interest of New York's economy and that of telephone ratepayers and working families.

This is already the most competitive telecommunications market in the nation. The local competition NYNEX faces isn't coming from mom and pop firms but rather from the global giants like AT&T, MCI/British Telecom and the joint venture of Sprint, Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom. These companies are interested in the lucrative business markets, not in providing information services to the public at large.

"New York Telephone/NYNEX, in partnership with CWA and its members, is making substantial investments in capital and human resources with a commitment to improving service. The proposed merger will strengthen the company's ability to provide quality telecommunications services for all customers, and very importantly, it will mean the continued growth of good-paying jobs for the New York economy."