Consolidated workers agree to 3-year contracts in ME, NH, VT

Associated Press, Special to The County
6 years ago

PORTLAND, Maine — Two unions representing about 1,000 Consolidated Communication workers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont have approved three-year contracts, their first under Illinois-based company, officials said Friday.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Communications Workers of America announced the outcome of voting, the last of which occurred Thursday night.

Union officials said the contracts reached last weekend will protect jobs, maintain affordable health care, and provide enhanced retirement benefits. They also said an early retirement package mitigates the possibility of dozens of call center jobs being moved out of state.

It’s the first contract since Consolidated bought FairPoint Communications last year. Workers struck against FairPoint for four months in late 2014 and early 2015.

Illinois-based Consolidated Communications provides telephone and broadband internet in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It also operates in 21 other states.

To read the rest of “Consolidated workers agree to 3-year contracts in ME, NH, VT,” an article by the Associated Press, please follow this link to the BDN online.