Seeking a fair contract, more than 1,000 telephone workers from throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island marched on Verizon’s New England headquarters on Thursday to rally for good jobs and reliable services. The current agreement covering about 65,000 employees with Verizon East expires at midnight on August 2, 2008.

“Verizon made $5.5 billion in profits last year because of our skill and productivity,” said Myles Calvey, Business Manager of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2222 and chair of the New England telephone workers’ bargaining committee. “This company can afford to provide workers a fair contract with decent benefits, and to keep quality jobs in our communities.”

“We are still far apart on health care costs – especially retiree coverage, lump sum pension payments, contracting out, corporate profit sharing, cost of living allowances and many, many other issues,” added Calvey, a long time Verizon splice service technician. “There is plenty of time left to reach an agreement, but if we have to strike we will.”

Union members overwhelmingly approved giving their union negotiating committee authority to call a strike after August 2.