It has been reported that almost half of the workers in Verizon Communications wireline telecommunications business went on strike on Sunday as negotiations for a new labor contract failed. The strike involved over 45,000 workers is the first walk-out that Verizon, one of the two big U.S. telephone network operators, has faced since 2000, when about 80,000 workers went on strike for about three weeks.The Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers — had been in talks since late June but were still far apart when their contract expired Saturday night.
The workers who went on strike were technicians and customer support employees in the wireline unit which provides traditional phone services to homes and businesses in the Northeast as well as high-speed Internet and FiOS television service.The both parties were unable to agree on issue related to a healthcare contribution,pension plans and work rules, according to Verizon and the CWA.
