Verizon Tentative Agreement Frequently Asked Questions
A message from President Mike Ippoliti
District One Vice President Dennis Trainor has asked that each Local circulate this letter that answers some Frequently Asked Questions about the Tentative Agreement with Verizon.
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Brothers, Sisters, CWA Family,
It’s fitting that the District 1 Verizon Bargaining Committee can come to you with a Tentative Agreement on a contract extension in 2026 — ten years since our historic 7-week strike. That strike proved once again our toughness and resiliency — so much so that it’s helped us win three strong contract extensions, even as the conditions in our country and at the bargaining table have put us to the test.
Let me be clear from the start: like every contract, this agreement does not resolve every issue faced by our members and retirees; in my 30 years of bargaining, I have never walked away at the end of negotiations with every single thing our members wanted. But I believe this agreement is a very, very strong one, and we can all be very proud of the work that went into securing this deal, both over the last few months and in the last ten years.
This agreement moves us forward in meaningful ways — strong salary increases, new job hires that will strengthen our bargaining unit, increased retirement protections, a continuation of tearing down the barriers the company put up between wireline and wireless (a goal of the Union for the last 25 years) and more — while protecting the standards we’ve fought for throughout our union’s history. To be clear, there is not one give back in this contract. We held the line through and through and brought home some real improvements.
We negotiated this Agreement with our Union Brothers and Sisters in CWA District 2-13, IBEW New England, IBEW New York and IBEW 827 New Jersey — a coalition we’ve built over the past 25 years that has given us the power to help win numerous agreements. Their Bargaining Committees all unanimously support this Agreement, because they feel as we do, that this is a strong contract.
In May of 2025, we began negotiations with Verizon for an extension Agreement, which subsequently broke off twice over the retiree pre-Medicare benefit issue. In late 2025, after numerous discussions with the company, one of which with the CEO himself, and with the approval of every Local President, the parties agreed to resume talks for an extension agreement beginning in early 2026, with the understanding that the Caps were not going to be on the table.
While this may be a point of disagreement among some Bargaining Committee Members now, the majority of the Committee feels strongly that this contract, in its entirety, is a very strong one — they would not have voted to bring it to you otherwise — and considering the vastly different bargaining climate this year compared to 2016, with no support from the Federal Government, a gutted National Labor Relations Board, and an extremely unstable economy, mobilizing or striking simply would not win us more than what we’ve secured in this contract; and in fact, could risk other parts of the contract that are off the table during early bargaining.
However, while we have not been able to decrease the healthcare costs facing our retirees in this contract, the Union is not and will not abandon our Retirees; in fact, we’ve successfully maintained a very strong retirement package, despite significant pressure from the Company and a nationwide healthcare crisis. Only 13% of large, private employers that offer health benefits also offer some retiree health benefits1 — and this number is declining every year. The pressure on this benefit is enormous, but in spite of that, this contract holds the line on what our members have earned. Furthermore, it secures significant improvements for our post-’08 and post-’12 members' retirement security, narrowing the disparities.
This strong agreement is the result of years of CWA militancy, solidarity, and our willingness to take action when necessary. Our power has made the difference, even as the conditions the Union faces at the bargaining table have gotten tougher and anti-union forces have increased the intensity of their attacks on us. While working families across this country are being squeezed tighter and tighter, we can be proud of what we’ve accomplished with this agreement.
I have been active in the Union for more than 50 years and have never shied away from a fight. I share the strong spirit of militancy that exists in District One members. We have achieved a strong contract because the company knows the District One members will fight when necessary. But I don’t believe that we should reject this deal and risk everything we have, including the gains this contract provides, considering the conditions we are currently facing in this country.
Our union is committed to doing the best we can for our members and retirees, but sometimes that means taking the fight away from the bargaining table. In this case, it means fighting to fix the healthcare system in this country, to elect pro-union people at the state and federal level who stand by working families and are committed to fixing the healthcare crisis. This agreement isn’t the end of our work; it’s a very strong step in the right direction.
Let me finish by being absolutely clear: I’m proud that our union is a democratic union. Every single member has a voice and a vote. We respect the democratic process of the union, and want you to make a decision for yourself — with all of the information and facts you need to make that decision.
Please take some time to review the FAQ below so you can make an informed decision to accept or reject this tentative agreement.
The solidarity and strength of our membership made this agreement possible, and I thank each one of you for your commitment to our union and for the hard work you do every day.
In Solidarity,
Dennis G. Trainor
CWA District One Vice President
