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Verizon Strike 2016 Update: Protest Enters 7th Week with Court Showdown; Settlement Likely In June

Verizon Strike May End in June

As the Verizon workers' strike enters its 7th week, both Verizon and the striking workers are feeling the pinch. The latest news and comments regarding the strike suggested the final resolution is coming up. Meanwhile, the strike will head for court showdown on Thursday.

workers picketing Verizon locations across the East Coast have gone without paychecks, and they stopped getting health benefits, Press of Atlantic City reported.

 Telco Analyst Barry Sine of Drexel said the long-protracted strike may trim $200 million from Verizon's profit. He also predicted that Verizon will lose around 150,000 FiOS video and data customers this spring due to the strike.

VerizonCEO Lowell McAdam revealed at a conference in Boston on Tuesday that the strike may hit its second quarter earnings. The definite numbers will not be out until the strike ends.

Further more, Sine anticipated "the strike to end relatively soon", likely in June.

"While union health-care benefits ceased on May 1, workers can retroactively sign up for benefits under COBRA with benefits taking effect up to 60 days prior. So even those incurring significant costs can wait until July 1," said the analyst.

"If negotiations fail, the employer typically imposes a last, final and best offer. If the employees accept, a vote is taken to accept or reject. If rejected, a strike vote ensues." Channel Partners quoted F.X. Crowley, a San Francisco-based labor relations and government affairs specialist.

Crowley noted that the Labor Department could call for a cooling-off period for a new round bargaining if negotiations failed.

Meanwhile, the Verizon strike will head for court showdown on Thursday. Verizon officials accused striking workers are illegally intimidating and harassing replacement technicians, which Union officials have denied.

Verizon filed a motion in April asking the court to bar picketers from intimidating nonunion employees, engaging in vandalism and blocking company vehicles. However, Union officials said the tech giant has no evidence to back its claims.

A Delaware judge could decide which side is right on Thursday.

Nearly 40,000 union members across East the East Coast have been on strike since April 13, which was blamed for the surge of U.S. jobless and recent vandalism.

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