Vermont’s congressional delegation on Tuesday sent a letter to FairPoint Communications urging the company to negotiate an end to its ongoing labor strike. It has been 136 days since FairPoint’s labor contract expired and 61 days since the beginning of the strike. More than 1,700 members of the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers are on strike against FairPoint in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
“We are extremely disappointed that FairPoint management has not come back to the bargaining table with any meaningful concessions to end this strike,” wrote Sens. Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch in their joint letter. “It is becoming increasingly clear to Vermonters that management is more concerned with the interests of corporate owners of FairPoint than negotiating a reasonable agreement that is fair to your workers and customers.”
Since the strike began, Vermont’s Department of Public Service has received more than 600 complaints from FairPoint’s customers. A recent equipment failure caused a roughly six-hour outage of Vermont’s 9-1-1 system, resulting in nearly 100 missed calls from Vermonters trying to reach emergency dispatchers.
“It is imperative that FairPoint returns to the bargaining table as soon as possible, negotiates in good faith, and allows its experienced and dedicated employees to get back to work. We are prepared to do whatever we can to help FairPoint’s workers and management reach a compromise in these very difficult times,” wrote the delegation.
FairPoint strikers rally at Vermont State House
Leahy, who said in a separate statement that he believes that a lengthy impasse offers no benefit to Vermont customers, FairPoint workers or the company, on Tuesday said: “Vermonters are increasingly frustrated by the ongoing standoff at FairPoint. From the start it has been clear that the way to resolve this impasse is for all sides to return to the table to negotiate a new contract. The rising number of service issues since this began only serve to heighten the stakes and the need to return to the table. I renew my call for the company and the unions to meet face to face to work toward ensuring the resumption of the level of service that Vermonters expect and deserve.”
WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2014 – Vermont congressional delegation.