To: All US-based Wireline, VSO and Corporate Management & East Associates

NOTE TO SUPERVISORS OF EAST ASSOCIATES – Please post Bargaining News on local bulletin boards and provide a copy to East associates who do not have email.

This week, Verizon presented comprehensive proposals to the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) for the Mid-Atlantic, New England and New York contracts that expire Aug. 6.

Specifically, the company presented proposals on major issues including benefits, sales incentives, managing the work and workforce, time-off, absence, and balancing work/life demands. With respect to health care, the company’s proposals include providing the same full slate of market-competitive medical benefits that apply to the vast majority of other Verizon employees.

The company’s proposals are in alignment with the highly competitive marketplace while balancing the interests of all Verizon stakeholders – employees, customers and investors.  These proposals are designed to continue to provide employees with a great place to work where they will receive good benefits.

The parties are negotiating new collective bargaining agreements covering about 45,000 union-represented wireline employees in Verizon’s eastern wireline service region. In all, company and union representatives are negotiating 27 different contracts that cover operations in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Beginning July 1, the parties will recess for the holiday weekend. Common Issues bargaining, which covers major topics that apply across all of the contracts, is scheduled to resume on July 18 when the CWA returns from its annual convention. There are plans to hold local bargaining talks with the IBEW between July 5 and July 17.

Verizon will keep employees informed throughout the negotiations, issuing Bargaining News bulletins as developments warrant.