New England telecom workers authorize a strike against Consolidated Communications
New England telecom workers who are members of CWA Local 1400 and IBEW Locals 2320, 2326, and 2327 have voted to authorize a strike against Consolidated Communications. The workers say the company is hiring too many outside contractors and bargaining in bad faith in negotiations that have been ongoing since March. A three-year contract with Consolidated is set to expire on August 7.
Consolidated purchased FairPoint Communications in 2017. FairPoint workers struck for four months from October 2014-February 2015 over many of the same issues on the table now.
“CWA and IBEW are in lockstep with each other to continue to fight for good-paying jobs and to maintain those jobs in northern New England,” said CWA Local 1400 President Don Trementozzi as reported in the Portland Press Herald.
Links:
Consolidated Communications bargaining update (CWA, July 23, 2021)
Broadband Brigade members turn out to protect good, union jobs and reliable broadband service
CWA condemns Trump NTIA changes to BEAD funding policies