Verizon Communications and its largest labor union began negotiations yesterday and immediately clashed over the company's push to have workers pay more for health coverage and the union's push to make it easier to organize workers at Verizon Wireless.þþMorton Bahr, president of the Communications Workers of America, warned there could be a walkout on Aug. 2, when Verizon's contract expires, unless the company eases the way to unionize 20,000 workers at Verizon Wireless.þþÿIf they don't agree to improve the Verizon Wireless situation, there will be no settlement,ÿ Mr. Bahr said in a telephone news briefing before the negotiations began.þþVerizon officials say they take the strike threat seriously, noting that the union went on an 18-day strike against the company three years ago. Verizon is seeking to negotiate contracts that cover 75,000 unionized workers — in states from Virginia to Maine — who belong to the communications workers' union or the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.þþÿWe feel optimistic that we can come to an agreement,ÿ said Peter Thonis, a Verizon spokesman.þþUnion officials have voiced anger that Verizon has reduced its unionized work force over the last two years while expanding its nonunion wireless work force. Accusing Verizon of using antiunion tactics, Mr. Bahr wants the company to sign an agreement pledging not to oppose or campaign against any efforts to unionize the wireless workers.þþBut company officials assert that Verizon Wireless is not a part of this round of negotiations, noting that the wireless operation is a joint venture owned 55 percent by Verizon and 45 percent by the Vodafone Group.þþVerizon officials also pointed out that Verizon Wireless signed an agreement, which expires next summer, that allows the communications workers to seek to unionize the wireless workers through a streamlined process. But the union has thus far failed to organize any of those workers, contending that company executives have aggressively fought such efforts.þþNoting that many other telecommunications companies are nonunion and have lower labor costs, Verizon executives say their main concern is holding down costs and achieving greater flexibility. The company wants to loosen rules that make it difficult to transfer workers from one location to another. It wants to reduce absenteeism, saying the daily absenteeism rate for union members is 6 percent. It wants to increase workers' contribution to health coverage, saying union members pay only 6 percent of their health bill, considerably less than workers at most large American corporations.þþÿWe're in a very competitive environment in telecom,ÿ Mr. Thonis said. ÿThat makes it essential that we have improved operational flexibility. That's what this overall negotiation is about.ÿ þþMr. Bahr insisted that the union would resist efforts to pay more for health coverage.þþÿWe find it unacceptable,ÿ Mr. Bahr said, ÿfor any company to want to shift health care costs to our members while they refuse to take a strong position on how we solve a national crisisÿ of soaring health care costs and a large number of uninsured.þþþþþ
Source: NY Times
