A union strike authorization vote by FairPoint Communications workers has been delayed due to storms in northern New England. Results of the vote are now expected July 18.
Mike Spillane, business manager for IBEW Local 2326 in Colchester, said Friday that storm damage, mainly in New Hampshire, was keeping crews busy this week.
“We just felt it was better for customers to be taken care of than to have our people doing union work,” Spillane said. “That’s the priority for us, obviously,”
The vote itself would not trigger a strike. Members are voting on whether to authorize their union leaders to call a strike if they cannot reach a deal with FairPoint. The parties have been in negotiations for weeks to renew a contract that expires Aug. 2. Both sides accuse the other of being intractable.
FairPoint says it needs to save money and have more flexibility in order to compete with telecommunications rivals.
The unions say FairPoint’s proposals — especially freezing pensions and demanding leeway to hire non-union labor — go too far.
Voting will be spread throughout the week, starting Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. via interactive television sites in 10 locations around the state. A final voting window will open July 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., also via interactive television.
FairPoint employees represented by Communication Workers of America are holding their strike authorization vote Friday night in Williston, Spillane said.
