TENTATIVE AGREEMENT Verizon West

After ten months of bargaining, CWA has reached a tentative agreement with Verizon West toward a new union contract covering about 4,500 workers. A ratification vote is scheduled November 20, 2013 on the proposed deal, which raises wages over four years.

"Our bargaining team has unanimously recommended a 'yes' vote on this contract, which returns jobs to our bargaining unit and limits outsourcing of FiOS work," said Jim Weitkamp, CWA Vice President for District 9. "As in the rest of the country, we have had to agree to some difficult concessions in the area of pensions and medical benefits, but we also preserved many terms and benefits the company had sought to take away."

CWA members at Verizon West had been working without a contract since September, when slow progress caused the union to cancel an earlier extension. The affected workers include FiOS technicians, operators, call center representatives, customer service representatives, cable splicers, field technicians for business and residential service, buried service wire employees and other job titles throughout California.