Mike Snider

USA TODAY

Verizon and striking unions have reached a four-year contract and employees will likely return to work next week, labor and union officials say.

Nearly 40,000 Verizon employees who are members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Communications Workers of America went on strike more than six weeks ago.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that the parties have reached an agreement in principle on a four-year contract, resolving the open issues in the ongoing labor dispute between Verizon’s workers, unions, and management," Labor Secretary Thomas Perez said. He urged Verizon management and union officials to begin meeting in Washington, D.C., nearly two weeks ago. "The parties are now working to reduce the agreement to writing, after which the proposal will be submitted to CWA and IBEW union members for ratification."

Perez said that during the two weeks of negotiations in Washington at the Labor Department, "I have observed firsthand the parties’ good faith commitment to narrowing differences and forging an agreement that helps workers and the company. The parties have a shared interest in the success of Verizon and its dedicated workforce. Indeed, these two interests are inextricably intertwined."

The most recent labor contract expired Aug. 1, 2015. The unions went on strike, criticizing Verizon for outsourcing jobs and requiring some workers to relocate. Verizon officials maintained that compromises on benefits are needed to tame costs.

"This tentative resolution is a testament to the power of collective bargaining," Perez said. "I commend the leadership of Verizon, CWA, and IBEW for their commitment to resolving these difficult issues in the spirit of constructive engagement. ... I expect that workers will be back on the job next week.”

CWA President Chris Shelton said that the unions will take down their pickets and that Verizon has agreed to add "new, middle-class jobs" on the East Coast. The deal, Shelton said, "is a huge win not just for striking workers, but for our communities and our country as a whole. The agreement in principle at Verizon is a victory for working families across the country and an affirmation of the power of working people.”

The CWA also said that the new contract will, for the first time, include some Verizon Wireless retail workers – about 85 who are in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Everett, Mass. Verizon Chief Administration Officer Marc Reed said that the “agreement in principle” includes contracts for about 165 Verizon Wireless employees.

"The agreement is consistent with our objective of creating high quality American jobs and achieving meaningful changes and enhancements to the contracts that will better enable our wireline business unit to compete and succeed in the digital world," Reed said in a statement. "In the meantime, we look forward to having all of our employees soon back at work in their regular positions and doing what they do best – serving our customers.”

Union officials complimented Perez and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director Allison Beck and other officials who assisted in the negotiations for, as IBEW President Lonnie Stephenson said, "all their efforts to help us reach a fair and mutually beneficial agreement that gets our members back on the job."

“This tentative contract is an important step forward in helping to end this six-week strike and keeping good Verizon jobs in America," Stephenson said in a statement. "“We will be sharing the details of it with our members for approval in the immediate days ahead. ... They look forward to returning to work serving their customers, working under a strong pro-worker and pro-jobs contract.”

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