Verixon last week began contract negotiations with two unions in an dffort to avert a crippling strike. The regional Bell operating company entered into collective bargaining talks with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) to reach an agreement on contracts for some 75,000 employees. The current contracts expire at midnight Aug.2. A strike, observers say would affect Verizon's deployment of equipment, potentially its ability to deliver services, and the overall economy The RBOC says it would spend between $13 billion and $15 billion on equipment and related materials this year, but so far has spent less than 20% of that, according to industry reports. Verizon is looking for employees to pick up a larger share of their medical benefits and to reduce absenteeism. Currently, employees pay about 5% of their healthcare, while the average in corporate America is 26% to 27%, according to Verizon.
展开▼
