By uniting in a union…
Verizon Business Techs Gain Benefits of New Contract and a Voice on the Job
After counting union authorization cards, Rep. Steve Lynch, Sen. John Kerry and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray certify that a majority of VZB techs in New England had formed a unionTechnicians at Verizon Business (VZB) finally are united in IBEW and CWA with a new labor agreement that went into effect on December 28.
The VZB techs gained union recognition in a breakthrough agreement reached between Verizon management and the CWA and IBEW in August 2008. Since then, Verizon and leaders from the two unions have been meeting regularly to work out the integration of the VZB workers into a union environment. The new VZB contract covers about 600 technicians from Maine to Virginia.
The VZB techs received strong support from CWA and IBEW members in a campaign to "tear down the wall" between union and non-union sectors at Verizon. We have made a good start, but there is much work to be done.
Now that the techs in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions are organized and have a contract, thousands of Verizon Business (VZB) workers throughout the rest of the country are looking to learn from their experience.
On this page you will find links to resources that will help you learn about what the VZB techs have won and how they achieved it.
For the most up-to-date news, check out our hotline at (617) 929-6096. If you are a member of Facebook, visit our "Unity at Verizon Business" group. [1]
For background materials on the VZB organizing campaign and a summary of the VZB Tech's contract be sure to visit the VZB Downloads Page [2].