ConEd Rally in Union Square. 7-17-2012. Click on the photo to view album.
Unions Seek Independent Third Party After Verizon Negotiations Drag On For Over a Year
Washington, DC – In response to the unwillingness of Verizon to bargain a fair contract for workers, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) today filed a request for mediation with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS). CWA made the request with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW); the two unions represent approximately 45,000 workers at Verizon locations from New England to Virginia.
CWA and IBEW workers have been unable to negotiate a fair contract for over a year as Verizon executives continue to insist on drastic cuts in compensation for workers. At the same time the company has made more than $16.3 billion in profits over the past four years and given its top five executives close to $300 million.
“This delay in reaching a fair agreement is not only bad for workers – it’s bad for consumers and bad for our communities,” said Chris Shelton, Vice President of CWA District 1 and Myles Calvey, Chairman of IBEW System Council 6. Added Ed Mooney, Vice President of CWA Districts 2-13 and Bill Huber, President of IBEW Local 827, “For the past year we have been flexible and shown a willingness to negotiate but the company continues to play games with workers’ health care, retirement security, and job security.”
Verizon is a $100 billion company and recently its Board of Directors approved a 200 percent increase in compensation for the CEO, to $23.1 million. In spite of its billions in profits the company continues to make demands which would gut workers’ job security and pension security, drastically increase health care costs, and fail to bring back thousands of jobs which the company has subcontracted and off-shored.
From coast to coast, working families, unions, students, faith leaders, progressive groups, civil rights and community organizations and many more are standing up to Verizon and its greed. In addition to signing a petition to Verizon’s CEO, allies have participated in actions at Verizon locations and consumers are urging Verizon to do the right thing.
According to a story in Channel Partners by Josh Long.
Verizon must be willing to bring in a federal mediator.
“Both parties must agree to mediation,” John Arnold, a spokesman for the FMCS, said in a phone interview.
Mediation could help.
A federal mediator seeks to assist two sides in reaching an agreement in contract negotiations, but unlike a federal judge or arbitrator, mediation is not a binding process. Under the Labor-Management Act of 1947, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services provides free mediation services in contract disputes between employees and the employees who are represented by a union, according to the FMCS’ website.
“The goal of mediation is to assist the parties in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement,” Arnold said. “We’re there to assist the parties. The FMCS has a pretty good track record.
“We help the parties reach a settlement in about 85 percent of the cases that we mediate,” Arnold said.
Read the full story.