Telecom News - Qwest, Verizon East in Bargaining this Year

Among the major contracts that CWA is bargaining this year are Verizon "East" — covering the traditional Verizon territory from Maine to Virginia — and Qwest Communications.

CWA's bargaining teams already have been meeting with Verizon to discuss and resolve some longstanding labor relations issues in order to press Verizon to honor the existing contract and clear a path for bargaining. The agreement covering about 80,000 workers, members of CWA and the IBEW, expires Aug. 2.

Members of CWA's District 7 Qwest Bargaining Council will meet May 6-7 in Layton, Utah, to review the membership issue surveys and set the final agenda for bargaining. More than 22,000 CWA-represented workers are covered by the contract that expires August 16. 

At both Qwest and Verizon, CWA activists have been getting ready for tough negotiations.

So far, more than 5,000 local activists have been trained about Verizon's business plan and CWA's priorities and strategy leading up to bargaining, with plans for more training throughout locals and districts. This includes member education and mobilization around Verizon's union-busting and its effort to restrict union jobs and "wall off" or transfer work to the now non-union parts of the company, like Verizon Business and Verizon Wireless. 

CWA's "Tear Down the Wall" campaign continues to build support for union representation and a fair choice for workers at companies like Verizon Business among communities, elected officials, civil rights groups and other organizations, and Verizon is hearing those voices loud and clear.

Activists also will continue to participate in actions to fight Verizon's attempt to deregulate, in Virginia and other states, while supporting Verizon's rollout of FiOS and video services when union-represented workers are not "walled off" from the work.