AUGUSTA, ME—Nearly 1800 workers in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont will be back on the job this week, after ratifying an agreement struck with FairPoint Communications.
The unions representing the workers spent three days voting on the agreement- the product of weeks of federal mediation, following months of stalled negotiations, accusations of bad-faith bargaining, and ultimately a strike.
“This is great news for our members, their families, and our communities,” says Peter McLaughlin, chair of the union bargaining committee and Business Manager of IBEW Local 2327 in Maine. “Our members remained united and committed to this fight for more than four months and today we have a fair deal that will bring them back to work and good service back to our communities.”
According to McLaughlin, FairPoint agreed to a union-administered health plan that will cost workers and the company less money. He also says that the unions have been able to protect jobs from outsourced labor, a major sticking point in earlier proposals.
According to a statement from FairPoint Communications, other key points in the contract include limits on the benefit pension plan, elimination of retiree medical benefits for most employees, and slower wage increases for new hires, among other things.
“We are glad that the unions have ratified these agreements that provide excellent pay and benefits while allowing FairPoint to rationalize its employee costs to position the company to compete and serve the customers and communities of northern New England,” says Paul Sunu, Chief Executive Officer of FairPoint.
Workers will return to their jobs Wednesday. The new contract will remain in effect until August 2018.
