Verizon reached tentative agreements with both the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers on new, three-year contracts covering approximately 400 employees in 10 states. The employees work in a division called the National Buried Service Wire Group and are responsible for the location and placement of underground telecommunications facilities and equipment.
The new contracts, which run through March 2007, provide for a 12% general wage increase over the life of the contracts, with annual increases of 4%. Verizon noted improvements to several benefit packages and said a new element of the contracts states that covered employees in the group will have a streamlined process for applying for future Verizon job openings in construction, maintenance and installation functions. http://www.verizon.com
