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Verizon Landline And Cable Workers Go On Strike

wnyc.org

NEW YORK (AP & WXXI News)  About 39,000 Verizon landline and cable workers on the East Coast walked off the job Wednesday morning after little progress in negotiations since their contract expired nearly eight months ago. 

The workers, members of two unions _ the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers _ represent installers, customer service employees, repairmen and other service workers in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., for Verizon's wireline business, which provides fixed-line phone services and FiOS Internet service. 

``We're on strike to maintain good jobs and maintain our standard of living,'' said Keith Purce, president of CWA Local 1101 which represents about 3,500 workers in Manhattan and the Bronx. 

Standing on a picket line in Manhattan with hundreds of union workers, Purce said they were prepared to stay out ``as long as it takes.'' 

He said talks broke off last week and no new talks were scheduled. 

The workers' latest contract expired in August and so far, the unions and management say negotiations have been unsuccessful. 

Verizon said Tuesday that it has worked for more than a year to prepare for the possibility of a strike and has trained thousands of non-union workers to fill in for the striking workers. Employees from other departments across the U.S. also will be sent to replace the striking workers, the company said. In August 2011, about 45,000 Verizon workers went on strike for about two weeks.  

The strike should not have a big impact in the Rochester area. Verizon does not have substantial landline operations in this market.  Reportedly union workers plant to picket some Verizon Wireless stores, but only a small number of those employees are part of the unions.

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