Unionized workers for FairPoint Communications in Maine and Vermont have voted to support a strike.
The strike authorization is a precursor to a work stoppage; it gives union leaders the go-ahead to call for a strike at some point in the future.
Workers at FairPoint are represented by two different unions: the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Mike Spillane, the business manager of the IBEW Local 2326 in Vermont, says “management has driven us to this point.”
“Our members want nothing more than to continue working for our customers,” Spillane said in a statement. “But if the company keeps disrespecting the collective bargaining process, it may come to a strike.”
A vote in New Hampshire was delayed due to extreme weather and high service volume.
FairPoint and the union are in disagreement over use of outside contractors who would be used to replace union workers, among other issues, including a freeze on pensions and a discontinuation of health care benefits for retirees.
The company wants to restructure its retirement system for workers in order to better compete with its rivals in the telecommunications industry.
Don Trementozzi, president of CWA Local 1400, which represents FairPoint workers in all three states, said in a statement that New England communities will suffer “if FairPoint is allowed to hire poorly trained, out of state temps who have no investment in our communities to maintain our vital telecommunications infrastructure.”
“This proposal hurts our members and our customers – it only helps the Wall Street hedge funds that own the company,” Trementozzi said.
Unionized workers at FairPoint make on average $115,000 a year, including benefits. The company covers 100 percent of health care costs.
The current five-year contract with the unions expires on Aug. 2.
IBEW represents about 350 workers in Vermont. About 100 customer service representatives in Vermont are represented by Communication Workers of America. The negotiations collectively cover about 1,800 employees in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
