Strike Looms - Talks Stall - Boston Globe

Strike looms as talks at Verizon stall
By Erin Ailworth
Globe Staff / July 31, 2008

Thousands of unionized Verizon Communications employees in New England could go on strike later this week if their five-year contract expires at midnight Saturday without a new deal in place. Negotiations with the company have stalled, according to a union official.

"The reports are that progress is slow, if at all. There's not much going on at all in negotiations," said Paul Feeney, a spokesman for one of the seven local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers unions representing about 8,000 Verizon service representatives, technicians, and other employees in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Workers plan to rally at Verizon's New England headquarters on Franklin Street in Boston at 6 p.m. today.

Neither Feeney nor Verizon spokesman Phil Santoro would say what is sues were holding up negotiations, which began earlier this year. But some union members indicated the company may be balking at cost-of-living pay increases and continued healthcare benefits for retirees, while also asking workers to pay a larger portion of their healthcare costs.

"Like anything, it always boils down to the major issues, such as job security, healthcare benefits for both our current and retired members, and the future of our work," Feeney said. He said yesterday that a strike looked "more and more imminent as the days go on."

According to Feeney, Verizon's unionized workers last went off the job in 2000 for 10 days, following the expiration of a three-year contract. In 2003, negotiations were extended, and an agreement was reached after the union contract expired.

Meanwhile, Santoro downplayed the prospect of a strike, saying such talk was common during contract negotiations.

The telecommunications company, based in New York, has about 65,000 union employees nationwide.

"This is typically what will happen as we get close to the expiration of a contract," Santoro said. "They'll organize large rallies."

He said he was optimistic that union and Verizon officials would soon reach an agreement.

"We are very hopeful that we will be able to settle on a fair contract by the time the current contract expires," Santoro said. If unionized workers did strike, he added, management employees would be asked to fill in.

"We would do the very best we can so that it affects the fewest number of customers as possible," Santoro said.

The company, which last year reported $93.5 billion in operating revenues, according to Verizon's website, provides customers with 38.3 million residential and business access lines, and has nearly 69 million wireless customers in the United States.

Erin Ailworth can be reached at eailworth@globe.com.