The three members of Vermont’s congressional delegation have once again called on FairPoint Communications to settle a two month old strike with unionized employees.
In a joint letter to the company, Sens. Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch wrote, “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.”
More than 1,700 workers in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine walked off the job on October 17th after FairPoint declared an impasse in negotiations and unilaterally imposed new contract terms.
According to the Department of Public Service, customer complaints about delays in telephone repairs have spiked since the strike.
The department says currently at least 40 FairPoint customers have been waiting for more than three weeks to have service restored.
The delays have prompted an investigation by the Public Service Board, which could impose penalties on the company.
Governor Peter Shumlin says he has spoken to FairPoint CEO John Sunu and urged him to end the strike.
In a letter to Sunu earlier this month, Shumlin wrote, “Enough is enough. Come back to the table, listen and compromise. I will urge the unions to do the likewise.”
On Wednesday afternoon, FairPoint released a letter from Sunu to Governor Shumlin.
“What you, the unions and all Vermonters have to understand is this," Sunu wrote. "FairPoint cannot give in to the demands of the strikers. The benefits they demand are a barrier to the telecommunications services Vermonters – and Vermont’s economy – deserve now and in the future. They are holdovers from the bygone era of landline telephone monopolies.”
The letter argues it is the unions, not the company, that have not negotiated in good faith.
"We remain willing to consider and constructively respond to any serious counterproposal that meaningfully addresses the company’s core issues in this negotiation. To date, we have not received any such proposals," Sunu wrote.
Following publication of the Sunu’s letter, the unions issued a response calling it misleading.
“We have made tough compromises during these negotiations,” said Mike Spillane, business manager of IBEW Local 2326 in a news release. “We’ve always been committed to making FairPoint a profitable business. But the outsourcing they’re pushing and the savage cuts they’re insisting on would make it impossible to serve our customers. We can’t let that happen.”
Sunu also responded Thursday to the delegation's letter. In a letter addressed to Sanders, Leahy and Welch, he reiterates the points made in his letter to Shumlin.
"FairPoint has always been willing to compromise with the unions and from the outset of negotiations, we have bargained in good faith in an effort to reach a fair deal – any assertion to the contrary is simply untrue," Sunu wrote.
Sanders issued a response, saying he is 'deeply disappointed but not surprised".
"In essence," Sanders said, "FairPoint’s bargaining posture is ‘take it or leave it, we want it our way, and we’re not going to make any compromises'."
(This story was updated at 7:08 PM on Wednesday, Dec. 17 to include FairPoint's response to Gov. Shumlin's letter and union reaction at at 7:34 PM and 7:58 on Thursday, Dec. 17 to include Fairpoint's letter to the congressional delegation and Sen. Sanders' response)
