Verizon Workers Ratify Contracts in 2003

CWA members at Verizon Communications ratified their new 5-year agreement, with an 89 percent "yes" vote.

The agreement covers 60,000 CWA workers at Verizon operations from Maine to Virginia. Another 18,000 workers at Verizon represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, approved the contract by a similar margin.

Separate agreements covering workers at Verizon Information Services, Verizon Wireless and Verizon Connected Solutions also were ratified, with approval votes of 95 percent, 96 percent and 66 percent, respectively.

CWA President Morton Bahr said the Verizon agreement "achieves our key goals of safeguarding jobs and job security and maintaining fully-paid health care premiums."

It retains existing provisions protecting workers against the transfer of work out of their communities and against layoffs. The contract also provides for a compounded wage increase of at least 10.6 percent over the contract term, including cost-of-living increases, as well as an immediate 3 percent cash bonus and annual profit-sharing bonuses that will give employees a minimum of $3,000 over the contract term.

The settlement was reached Sept. 4, about a month after contract expiration. Verizon workers stayed on the job and carried out an innovative mobilization and communications program, building community, political and on-line support for labor's Fairness at Verizon campaign.

The parties also agreed to continue to work with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service director, who had helped facilitate the talks, in an effort to develop a relationship built on mutual trust and respect.