Roughly 40,000 union members representing Verizon workers in nine states including Pennsylvania went on strike Wednesday morning.
The striking workers are part of Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (CWA and IBEW) and work in Verizon’s wireline and FiOS businesses. The strike began at 6 a.m.
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Union members are upset about compensation, jobs being cut or moved offshore, long-term work assignments and retirement benefits.
Verizon has said in statements that their proposal to union members include a 6.5 percent pay increase over the term of the contract, healthcare benefits and retirement plans including a company match on a 401K.
The unions and Verizon have been negotiating for the past 10 months with no deal reached.
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“It’s time for Verizon to acknowledge that working families also have a right to do well in America. It’s time for a contract that’s fair to Verizon’s working people and the customers we serve,” a statement from IBEW Local 827 of New Jersey said.
Union members say Verizon has made $39 billion over the last three years cut continues to cut costs and failed to roll out FiOS expansions to levels previously agreed upon in the New York City and Philadelphia.
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Verizon officials said they expect the strike to have little impact on service.
“With any sort of job action or disruption to our business, our primary goal is to ensure our customers can count on the critical communications services that they pay for and we provide. I want them to know that will happen,” said Bob Mudge, president of Verizon’s wireline network operations.
The company has moved its out-of-area workers and cross trained employees from other departments to fill union jobs during the strike.
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Verizon said they are willing to work with federal negotiators to hammer out a deal.
