Feds Mediate Verizon Contract Dispute

On Wednesday, July 25, federal officials, union representatives, and Verizon negotiators met in Washington, DC. The contract dispute between Verizon and its CWA and IBEW workers is now under federal mediation. The agency handling the negotiations is the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), which has been around since 1947, and provides conflict resolution assistance for a variety of disputes that involve industry, government, and other communities.

Negotiations are ongoing under FMCS Director George Cohen and Mediation Services chief John Pinto. Under the terms of the meetings, CWA and IBEW won’t be able to report on timetables or progress until information is formally released.