Politics & Government

Verizon Strike 2016: Company, Unions End Epic Labor Standoff

One of the largest worker strikes in modern American history is over. See our comprehensive history here.

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June 17, 2016 -- One of the largest worker strikes in modern American history is officially over. On June 17, nearly 40,000 striking Verizon union members ratified a four-year contract with the communications giant, bringing an end to an epic labor standoff that spanned nearly two months.

Representatives with the two striking unions – the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Engineers (IBEW) – stated that their members, mostly workers in the company’s wireline operations, “overwhelmingly” approved the new contracts.

The new contracts went into effect immediately, Verizon reported.

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HISTORY OF THE STRIKE

Contract talks between Verizon and members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) began in June of 2015.

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The workers’ contract expired on August 1, 2015.

Almost 40,000 of the company's wireline employees and call center representatives in nine Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and Washington, D.C. began striking on April 13, 2016.

Union-led labor rallies and picket lines were launched up and down the East Coast.

Bargaining efforts between Verizon and the unions remained mostly stagnant through the first weeks of the strike.

On April 21, Verizon released a statement that claimed the company has been the victim of 24 recent “suspected incidents of sabotage” in five states.

As the strike reached week three, union leaders and workers released photos and videos that alleged the company’s replacement workers weren’t up to the task and were creating safety issues.

Complications resulting from the strike reportedly caused lengthy service delays for the company's 140 million customers who use Verizon for cable television or Internet connections and even longer waits for new subscribers wanting Verizon's FIOS and mobile services.

On April 28, Verizon's Chief Administrative Officer Marc Reed announced that the company had put its “last, best and final offer” on the table.

Verizon presented each of the striking workers’ bargaining units – the New England, Mid-Atlantic and New York IBEW and the New York/New England and Mid-Atlantic CWA – with separate contract offers.

“Unfortunately, their ‘last and best’ was little more than the same old [expletive]," union leaders with the CWA District 1 bargaining team wrote after the April 28 meeting.

Reed reported an unfruitful bargaining meeting with the Mid-Atlantic unions on April 29, and an equally unsuccessful meeting with the New York/New England units on May 2.

“We met with the New York/New England unions and they made a proposal that was not constructive,” Reed stated. “We rejected the unions’ proposal and reiterated that they have our last, best, final offer.”

Verizon officially cancelled health benefits for striking employees on May 1.

Striking Verizon workers – acting under the banner of the “Stand Up To Verizon” coalition – launched a national “Day of Action” on May 5.

As bargaining continued at a May 5 meeting between union and company representatives, protesters reportedly held actions at 400 locations nationwide, including a rally outside a Verizon shareholder meeting in Albuquerque that ended with 15 arrests.

Meanwhile, multiple incidents involving violence and confrontation took place between the company, its replacement workers and union supporters.

As the labor standoff continued, multiple government bodies passed or considered legislation in support of the strikers.

As the strike reached day 36, the U.S Department of Labor sent in a federal mediator to restart contract talks between the company and striking workers.

However, striking workers continued to protest as their representatives returned to the bargaining table.

On May 19, eighty-eight U.S. Congress members issued a plea for both sides to reach a compromise.

Federal mediators announced on May 27 that the two sides had reached a tentative agreement, which still needed to be ratified by the striking union members.

Details of the proposed contract were released on Memorial Day.

Workers ratified the new, four-year contracts on June 17.

Photo courtesy of CWA Local 13000

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