It’s been going on for months, and now the U.S. Department of Labor wants Verizon’s labor issues to come to an end.
Earlier this week, the labor department released a statement on the dispute between Verizon and its workers revealing that the department pushed for the parties to get back to the table and negotiate a new labor contract.
“A few days ago, U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez reached out to the parties in the ongoing labor dispute involving Verizon workers and invited them to meet with him in Washington in an effort to help the parties resolve a dispute that is affecting thousands of workers, their families and the company,” read the labor department’s statement.
Both parties returned to the bargaining table Tuesday.
The unions representing Verizon workers during this labor dispute include the Communication Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
As the AmNews previously reported, 37,000 Verizon technicians and customer service representatives in the Northeast walked off the job a month ago, pushing for a better contract with their employer.
Verizon officials said they’ve made their “best final offer,” which included a 7.5 percent wage increase, the continuation of the company’s 401(k) match plan and “layoff protection.” CWA officials responded by saying that the layoff protections offered to workers would still allow the company to cut into job security protections. CWA officials said that could lead to pushing unionized workers off the job.
Despite ongoing accusations of vandalism and intimidation tactics, Perez and the labor department want Verizon and its workers to figure something out as soon as possible.
“The best way to resolve this labor dispute is at the bargaining table, and I am heartened by the parties’ mutual commitment to get back to immediate discussions and work toward a new contract,” said Perez in a statement. “I was singularly impressed by the parties’ appreciation that time is of the essence and their strong commitment to use the collective bargaining process to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.”