West Virginia CWA Members Vote to Authorize Strike Against Altice

Members of CWA Locals 2002 and 2007 voted overwhelmingly last week to authorize a strike against their employer, Altice USA, if the company fails to negotiate a fair contract. Altice workers in West Virginia provide telecommunications services under the brand name Optimum.

The union technicians of Altice formed their union with CWA in 2019 and ratified a first contract in 2020 that guaranteed pay raises, provided job security, and established grievance and arbitration rights for the workers. Members seek to build on the 2020 contract and negotiate a successor contract that provides local workers with the pay and benefits they have earned and deserve.

The current four-year contract expired last month. A two-month extension was agreed to in order to give both parties more time to reach a fair deal. The contract extension will expire on June 28, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

“We have shown up, worked hard, and delivered quality service for our community,” said Nicholas Mariano, a CWA member employed by Altice. “Now it’s time for a contract that gives dedicated, local technicians and our families a better standard of living and secures good jobs for the future.”

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.