- On the eve of a labor contract expiration, Verizon (NYSE:VZ) says it's making little progress on talks with its East Coast wireline workers.
- Two unions representing the workers (the CWA and IBEW) have authorized a strike as needed, and Verizon says it's ready in case of work stoppage. The current contract -- covering 39,000 wireline employees in nine states along the coast -- expires at midnight tomorrow.
- The unions say Verizon's demanding that workers sharply increase their health care contributions and make concession on pensions.
- The CWA also says Verizon is refusing to build its FiOS network in lower-income areas, while letting the copper network degrade -- leaving many consumers in the hands of a cable monopoly.
- For its part, the CWA has enlisted help from the mayors of Syracuse, N.Y., and Kingston, N.Y., who it had join them at a bargaining session pointing to their support. Three other state mayors have written letters to Verizon urging fiber-to-the-home buildouts.
- "The CWA owes these mayors an apology," said a Verizon spokesman. "Unfortunately, the mayors were seemingly misled to think FiOS deployment is an issue that’s being negotiated. It’s not. Sadly, it seems the mayors were just a ploy as part of this bargaining publicity gimmick."