Search News
For the Media
For media inquiries, call CWA Communications at 202-434-1168 or email comms@cwa-union.org. To read about CWA Members, Leadership or Industries, visit our About page.
Bargaining Update for 5 p.m., Tuesday, August 8: Negotiations Continue on Job Security Issues, Organ
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Negotiations are continuing between the Communications Workers of America and Verizon today, with talks getting underway early this morning and likely to continue well into the night.
CWA reported progress today but noted that a number of serious issues concerning job security and working conditions must be resolved.
CWA is seeking limitations on the movement of work as Bell Atlantic consolidates its merger with GTE, which has operations across the country. This issue has yet to be resolved. Regarding another job issue, the union reported that progress had been made in the agreement to return some work from its BACCSI subsidiary to the core company.
In the area of organizing rights for wireless workers, Verizon itself this week underscored why this issue is a critical one for workers. Verizon management in Woburn, Mass., has been distributing stridently anti-union materials to wireless workers there, reinforcing the need for workers to be able to make a fair choice about union representation, CWA maintained.
CWA reported that serious differences still remain in separate negotiations for 45 Verizon Wireless workers in New York City.
Verizon has been seeking temporary restraining orders against CWA seeking to limit picket activities, but in Maryland and elsewhere, the courts have refused to issue such orders. "Verizon would be better advised to concentrate its attention and resources on reaching a settlement and ending this strike, rather than seeking to block CWA members engaged in peaceful picketing," said CWA President Morton Bahr.
Some 72,000 CWA-represented workers and 14,700 IBEW went on strike against Verizon at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday August 6.
CWA reported progress today but noted that a number of serious issues concerning job security and working conditions must be resolved.
CWA is seeking limitations on the movement of work as Bell Atlantic consolidates its merger with GTE, which has operations across the country. This issue has yet to be resolved. Regarding another job issue, the union reported that progress had been made in the agreement to return some work from its BACCSI subsidiary to the core company.
In the area of organizing rights for wireless workers, Verizon itself this week underscored why this issue is a critical one for workers. Verizon management in Woburn, Mass., has been distributing stridently anti-union materials to wireless workers there, reinforcing the need for workers to be able to make a fair choice about union representation, CWA maintained.
CWA reported that serious differences still remain in separate negotiations for 45 Verizon Wireless workers in New York City.
Verizon has been seeking temporary restraining orders against CWA seeking to limit picket activities, but in Maryland and elsewhere, the courts have refused to issue such orders. "Verizon would be better advised to concentrate its attention and resources on reaching a settlement and ending this strike, rather than seeking to block CWA members engaged in peaceful picketing," said CWA President Morton Bahr.
Some 72,000 CWA-represented workers and 14,700 IBEW went on strike against Verizon at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday August 6.
###