Vermont Congressional Delegation Urges FairPoint to Negotiate, Telco Blames Strike Length on Unions

Vermont’s congressional delegation urged FairPoint Communications to negotiate an end to a strike in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont involving more than 1,700 of the telco’s workers. “We are extremely disappointed that FairPoint management has not come back to the bargaining table with any meaningful concessions to end this strike,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I, and Rep. Peter Welch, D, in a letter to FairPoint, posted Wednesday. “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.” Vermont’s Department of Public Service has received an amplified number of customer complaints about FairPoint since the strike began in October, prompting the state Public Service Board to begin an investigation into the complaints (see 1412090063). FairPoint CEO Paul Sunu blamed local chapters of the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Wednesday for the protracted length of the strike, saying in a letter to Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin that FairPoint “has always been willing to compromise with the unions.” FairPoint’s efforts to reach an agreement have been unsuccessful, he said. Shumlin had sent a letter to FairPoint last week also urging an end to the strike. A spokesman for the local CWA and IBEW chapters said FairPoint has rejected the unions’ proposals.