Reuters, August 29, 2011, Monday

Reuters

August 29, 2011, Monday

Reuters (full article)

Verizon seen winning healthcare union fight

Negotiations between Verizon and the unions representing its wireline workers are expected to resume on Wednesday after both sides last week agreed on a new framework for bargaining. About 45,000 technical and customer service workers -- roughly half of Verizon's wireline workforce -- returned to work last week after a two-week work stoppage.

"With the workforce returning to work, both sides realize that an extended strike would be very costly and they're both backing down," said Professor Harry Katz, a labor specialist at Cornell University. Katz added, however, "Verizon is going to get meaningful concessions in the negotiations. They're just not going to get the extreme draconian concessions they were after."