Vermnont Business MagazineUnion leaders fromthe International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 2320, 2326 and 2327 and the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 1400informedConsolidated Communicationson Friday that union members have ratified the tentative labor agreements reached on Aug. 4. The new contracts, which coverapproximately 1,200 workers in Northern New England, will run throughAugust7, 2021.
“We’re very pleased our employees ratified these new agreements, which enable us to better serve and support our customers by having increased flexibility to speed the delivery and support of services,” said Bob Udell, president and chief executive officer at Consolidated Communications. “The new agreements also enable us to better manage our costs as a sustainable, long-term business.”
The unions sent this statement Friday: "Members of IBEW Locals 2320, 2326, 2327, and CWA Local 1400 who represent nearly 1,000 telecommunications workers in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont have voted overwhelmingly to ratify collective agreements with Consolidated Communications, Inc. The agreements will take effect on August 5, 2018, and expire onAugust 7, 2021.
"After four months of often contentious bargaining,leaders of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) said that, although they did agree to some concessions, the agreements maintain high quality affordable health care, provide enhanced retirement benefits through a new 401K savings plan, and protect many local jobs for the life of the agreements."
The new contracts go into effect immediately.
Unions representing Consolidated Communications workers in Northern New England authorized a strike in late July if negotiations did not lead to an acceptable outcome.
Negotiations began in April on a contract that expiredAugust 4. The union was concerned over the company's plan to use subcontractors for some work, while Consolidated said that their plan, which is intended to give it more flexibility, will not result in layoffs of any union workers.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) System Council T-9 and Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1400, together now represent more than 1,000 workers in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
A bitter strike against former owner FairPoint in October 2014 eventually was settled in February 2015. FairPoint subsequently laid off most CWA workers in Vermont.
Consolidated prides itself in its labor dealings and a settlement was reached this time without labor action.
FairPoint, Vermont's largest telecommunications company,sold to Illinois-based Consolidated(NASDAQ: CNSL) in December 2016 in an all-stock merger transaction valued at approximately $1.5 billion. The New England entity was recently rebranded to Consolidated Communications.
About Consolidated Communications
Consolidated CommunicationsHoldings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSL) is a leading broadband and business communications provider serving consumers, businesses of all sizes, and wireless companies and carriers, across a 23-state service area.Leveraging its advanced fiber optic network spanning more than 36,000 fiber route miles, Consolidated Communications offers a wide range of communications solutions, including: Internet, data, phone, security, managed services, cloud services and wholesale, carrier solutions.Headquartered in Mattoon, Ill., Consolidated Communications has been providing services in many of its markets for more than a century.
PORTLAND, Maine.–Aug. 10, 2018–Consolidated Communications