By Ryan Knutson
Verizon Communications Inc. missed its midnight deadline to
secure a deal with more than 37,000 union employees, but the unions
said employees will keep working without a contract while talks
continue.
Verizon's two largest unions, the Communications Workers of
America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers,
went on a two-week strike the last time the sides negotiated a new
contract, in 2011.
Verizon is looking to reduce retirement benefits and wants
employees to shoulder more health-care costs. The unions want added
benefits in those areas as well as job security provisions.
Both sides blamed the other for failing to reach an
agreement.
"We are disappointed that after six weeks of good-faith
bargaining and a very strong effort by the company, we have been
unable to reach new agreements with the unions," said Marc Reed,
Verizon's chief administrative officer.
"Despite our best efforts, Verizon refuses to engage in serious
bargaining towards a fair contract," said Dennis Trainor, vice
president for CWA District One, which represents Verizon workers in
New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts.
The unions only cover the company's wireline technicians and
wireline call center staff from Massachusetts to Virginia.
Employees of its wireless unit aren't part of the unions. Verizon's
union employees in Texas, Florida and California are covered by a
different contact.
In case talks stall, Verizon has been training thousands of
nonunion workers to fill in for the unionized workforce in the
event of a strike.
Write to Ryan Knutson at ryan.knutson@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires