Verizon Employees to Return to Work

August 20, 2011

Verizon Employees to Return to Work

By GREG BENSINGER

About 45,000 Verizon Communications Inc. workers agreed to return to work Tuesday, under a previous contract, after striking to protest benefits cuts that the telecommunications giant sought to offset declining sales in its traditional wireline business.

The old contract will go back into effect Tuesday, while negotiators continue to work towards a new resolution, said Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America, which represents about 35,000 Verizon employees. He said workers were willing to return because the company seemed ready to negotiate.

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