Communications Workers of America (CWA) Locals 1301, 1302 and IBEW 2213 are currently in a struggle with Idearc Media Corporation, a spin-off from Verizon Corporation.The intense negotiations, being held in Middleton, Massachusetts, began on April 11, 2007 and have broken down. At present the union-represented employess are working without a contract.

Idearc Media sells both print and electronic yellow pages advertising. It is a $3.2 billion corporation with approximately 7,400 employees, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. After recently going public, Idearc reported net income for 2006 of over $770 million dollars.

CWA Locals 1301 and 1302, along with IBEW 2213, represent over 650 yellow pages sales representatives and clerical workers throughout all of New England and upstate New York. The Unions have represented some of these workers for over 45 years, beginning when they were employees of New England Telephone Company.

Idearc has come to the table with a set of proposals demanding cutbacks to every benefit plan including: vision, dental, long- and short-term disability, tuition assistance, and basic and supplemental life coverage. The company's proposal on healthcare calls for fewer options, inferior care, higher co-pays and employee contributions on the premiums. Additionally, except for healthcare, the company does not want to guarantee any of these benefits, insisting it has the right to diminish or even eliminate any of the benefit plans at any time.

Regarding the sales representatives in the bargaining unit, the company wants to cap earnings, create a new lower paying job title and have the right to set all the commission rates and assignment of work, directory by directory, at their total discretion.

The Company keeps stating the need for flexibility in a changing marketplace, and that they are a much smaller company with fewer employees. Idearc management has ignored their recent publicly stated profitability and their long history of compatibility with Union representation. The two sides remain far apart with no settlement in sight. The company continually asks for "flexibility" and concessions from the workers, but offers none in return.

These one-sided proposals do not represent true bargaining. Please stay tuned as these Unions may require your solidarity and assistance should a deal not be reached.