Credit: Shutterstock photoStalled progress between union officials and Verizon ( VZ ) administrators prompted the union to call an immediate strike over the weekend, The New York Times reports .
Represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Communications Workers of America, as many as 45,000 field technicians, customer service representatives at call centers and installers of cable ranging from Massachusetts to Virginia could cause repair and installation delays for the customers and the wire lines division, which has a strong presence of union representation.
"Since bargaining began on June 22, Verizon has refused to move from a long list of concession demands," according to a union statement cited by The New York Times. "Even at the 11th hour, as contracts were set to expire, Verizon continued to seek to strip away 50 years of collective bargaining gains for middle class workers and their families."
The Associated Press reports the breakdown in discussions regarding a new labor contract occurred early Sunday morning. The contract under which the employees were working expired Saturday night.
Communications Workers of America asserts Verizon's concessions do not go far enough because of how profitable the company is.
Yet Mark Reed, the human resources executive vice president for Verizon, expressed regret about union members leaving the negotiating table rather than continuing to work on the challenges.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.