News from the CWA

For Immediate Release
October 30, 2005

300 Yellow Pages Workers Across New York State Set to Strike at 12:01 a.m Monday, October 31st Over Management "Unfair Labor Practices" in Bargaining for New Contract

NEW YORK—Nearly 300 CWA-represented sales and clerical employees of Verizon Information Services are set to strike immediately after midnight tonight over unfair labor practices committed by management during negotiations for a new contract. The old collective bargaining agreement expired on October 8th and no negotiations are currently taking place.

  Verizon Information Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Verizon, Inc., publishes the Verizon Yellow Pages/Super Pages.  Located in nine locations across the state, CWA members sell ads and perform clerical functions for VIS.  The company's largest offices are located in East Meadow, Long Island; Manhattan; Westchester; Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo.

  Union and company officials had engaged in intensive informal bargaining, with the assistance of a federal mediator, after the old contract expired three weeks ago.  However, VIS engaged in "bait and switch" bargaining tactics, putting forward positive proposals informally that they later pulled back in formal negotiations.  CWA filed unfair labor practice charges against VIS at the National Labor Relations Board on Friday, citing management's "bad faith bargaining."

  "We have bargained in good faith to reach a fair contract that meets the needs of our members and protects their wages and working conditions over the next three years," said Chris Shelton, Vice President, CWA District One.  "Unfortunately, our good faith efforts have not been reciprocated by management."  District One represents 170,000 telecommunications, public and health care, media, printing and manufacturing employees across New York, New Jersey and New England.  About 80,000 of those members are in New York State.

  "We do not want a strike," Shelton added.  "But it is beginning to look like VIS' only goal in these negotiations is force us to go backwards in critical areas like compensation and health care—or to break the union.  We are not going to let that happen."

  Picket lines will go up at all nine VIS locations (suboffices are located in Islip, Fishkill and Vestal, NY) tomorrow morning.

Communications Workers of America, District One
80 Pine Street  NY, NY  10005  Chris Shelton, Vice President