Area CWA Locals Prepare for Contract Battle with Verizon

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)With the clock continuing to tick down toward the August 6 expiration of contracts covering 45,000 Verizon workers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, area CWA locals are taking strike authorization votes. CWA 2107 and 2108 vote tomorrow night and Local 2222 sent out ballots earlier this month. “It is imperative that we vote “Yes” and send a strong message to the companies that we will not tolerate their take-back attempts at the bargaining table!” said Local 2108. Tens of thousands of CW A members are expected t turn out for a mobilization rally in New York City on July 30th. Verizon has said that it wants to tie pay increases more closely to job performance, make it easier to fire workers, halt pension accruals and require union workers to contribute to health-plan premiums.
- photo: DC-area Verizon workers picketing during 2008 contract negotiations