Striking Verizon Workers Get Their Lives Back; Picketing Days Are Finally Over?

As the tentative deal was met, the striking Verizon workers can finally get their lives back. With the deal inked, many are wondering if the picketing days are finally over for the union workers and even for Verizon.

Nearly 40,000 striking Verizon employees will return to work after reaching a tentative contract agreement. It includes 1,300 new call center jobs and nearly 11 percent in raises over 4 years. Also, health care plan changes are going to be made to save money, reports SF Gate.

The pact, subject to approval by union members, stands to end one of the largest strikes in the United States in recent years. And for workers and Verizon Communications Inc., the agreement would pave the way to minimize the skirmish. However, despite the agreement, there have not been any clear indications as to when these striking union workers would resume their jobs.

However, the Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers unions that represent the strikers affirmed of the successful deal a victory for American workers.

"We are turning the tide from cutbacks against working people to building a stronger labor movement and strengthening the power of working Americans," Dennis G. Trainor, vice president of the union's District 1 in the Northeast, said in a statement. The IBEW also relayed that the segment was able to uphold and protect the rights of the Americans to jobs and equality owing to the off shoring of work overseas.

Also, Verizon Communications Inc. based in New York also affirmed that it was indeed a good deal for everyone. "This will allow our business to be more flexible and competitive," chief administrative officer Marc Reed stated in a released statement.

Besides the raises and new call center jobs, the tentative agreement includes $1,250 in signing bonuses and health care reimbursements for new workers, a 25 percent increase in the number of unionized crews maintaining Verizon's utility poles in New York state and three 1 percent increases in pensions, which Verizon had proposed to freeze, as further noted by the same post.

Looking back, the situation was at its worst, and iTech Post also mentioned on how Verizon dealt with a mighty blow of the strike. It has even experienced issues and service interruptions at Kennedy Airport.

Although a deal was met and that mitigations were implemented, it still remains uncertain. Even though the striking Verizon workers would get their lives back, it is still unknown whether the union workers' picketing days are finally over.