PORTLAND, Maine - Nearly 2,000 employees at FairPoint Communications began picketing at work sites across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont today, after months of contract negotiations broke down. Union employees say FairPoint leaders are trying to outsource jobs and cut health and pension benefits. FairPoint emerged from bankruptcy just a few years ago, and a company official says it needs to trim costs to stay competitive.
FairPoint employees were in high spirits as they hit the picket lines at the company's state headquarters in Portland Friday morning. But Jenn Nappi, assistant business manager for the local IBEW union, says the strike is born out of frustration.
"We have repeatedly attempted every possible measure to avoid coming to this," Nappi says, "and FairPoint absolutely refuses to negotiate anything in good faith for us."
Union contract negotiations began last April. Nappi says FairPoint wanted $700 million in concessions, ranging from freezing union pensions to increasing health care costs. She say the union countered with $200 million in concessions, but the company rejected that proposal. FairPoint declared an impasse on negotiations in August, and implemented its proposals.
Customer Service Representative Vicki Hill says the worst part of the contract - the part that the union can't budge on - is the provision that allows the company to outsource jobs. "Basically, our main thing is keeping jobs local," Hill says. "We don't want to have any of our jobs outsourced, and that is the biggest reason."
It was reason enough for Maine's two Democratic representatives, Mike Michaud and Chellie Pingree, to join the picket line Friday morning. Pingree criticized FairPoint for taking out its management problems on employees by cutting benefits and allowing jobs to be outsourced.
"These are highly-skilled jobs," Pingree said. "You don't want your health information dependent on people who just came to work the day before, you don't want your 911 system to not be working. And, frankly, who in the state hasn't been frustrated just trying to get normal telephone service for their business, for their home?"
FairPoint spokeswoman Angelynne Beaudry says, with the strike in effect, the company is focusing on meeting the needs of its customers. "It's important for them to know we have a comprehensive contingency plan in place to ensure the service they, the economy, and the community of northern New England rely on continues without interruption."
As for union contract negotiations, Beaudry says the company is merely trying to bring benefits in line with mainstream standards for the region. She says under past union contracts, FairPoint covered 100 percent of healthcare premiums and paid for unlimited sick days. The average wage and benefit costs for union employees was $115,000 a year.
Beaudry says the company is willing to evaluate meaningful union proposals that address the core issues of the negotiations. "We're disappointed in the union's decision to walk out," she says.
Back on the picket line, union employee and father of three Chuck Hall says FairPoint is stripping away good middle-class jobs from Maine. "All of the people that live in Maine that have phone lines through FairPoint are paying FairPoint money that FairPoint doesn't want to pay us with it anymore," Hall says. "They want to pay dividends to Wall Street. They want to give raises to the executives that don't even live here. They're taking money from this region and sending it elsewhere."
Union members in Maine say they will strike for as long as it takes to protect good-paying jobs. Chellie Pingree says she has been working behind the scenes in the lead up to the strike to encourage FairPoint to bargain in good faith. Pingree says she'll continue to put pressure on the company to come back to the negotiating table.
