CWA, IBEW Reach Tentative Agreements with Verizon

Verizon workers marched through downtown Philadelphia on Aug. 11, rallying for a fair contract.

CWA and the IBEW have reached tentative agreements with Verizon Communications covering 45,000 members from Virginia to New England.

The tentative contracts maintain workers' standard of living and employment security over the next three years and reaffirm that workers' bargaining rights are necessary to maintain the middle class in America. Read details of the CWA agreements here. CWA and IBEW are hopeful that the agreements will lead to additional investment and jobs going forward.

Also, CWA and IBEW members fired during the August 2011 strike, whose cases were being prosecuted by the National Labor Relations Board, will return to work as part of the tentative agreement.

Separately, CWA and Verizon reached a tentative agreement covering 70 Verizon Wireless technicians in New York.

The officers, staff and bargaining committee members of both unions worked endlessly, day and night, over the past 16 months, on behalf of the 45,000 active and 70,000 retired members. And they credited the mobilization of tens of thousands of members and allies throughout the labor and progressive communities in making a big difference in the negotiations. Verizon workers stood together to get the best possible agreement, CWA and IBEW said.

Over the past several weeks, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director George Cohen met with union and management negotiators in efforts to help reach a fair settlement. CWA and IBEW appreciate the work of Director Cohen in helping to bring about a resolution after 16 months of negotiations. The previous contract expired in August 2011, and following a two-week strike that led to a better framework for bargaining, CWA and IBEW members continued to work under the terms of the expired agreement while negotiations continued.