FairPoint seeks concessions from union workers
Published: Oct 22, 2009 12:00 am
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Saddled by crippling debt, FairPoint Communications Inc. is asking its union employees in northern New England for pay cuts and other concessions as it seeks to avert filing for bankruptcy.
FairPoint spokeswoman Rose Cummings says company and union officials representing about 3,000 workers have met regularly in recent months to discuss ways FairPoint can reduce costs. Another closed-door meeting was scheduled Thursday in Boston.
FairPoint is based in North Carolina, but its biggest holdings are in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, where it bought Verizon's landlines and Internet services in 2008.
FairPoint is in talks with lenders in hopes of restructuring its debt, but says it still may be forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
crash694 says
I think that fairpoit has bitten off more than they can chew here. With taking on Maint, NH and Vermont in the verizon take overs. Of last year. For 1 i do not think that they had the back up capital to withstand any unforseen problems, as they have been experiencing. Just recently i had an issues with phone connection when i called my local Dr, office, and took over 2 hrs to finally get through. They cannot keep having issues like that and keep people happy. I m sure it getting old for some, that is why i stay with a cell phone only.
But when verizon owned the current system they did not have these issues, or we did not hear about them, One concern that i have is, are they being sabatage from the union, As the Uninon did not want to have Fairpoint purchase this location, and they faught hard not to make it happen, but it did. So is these a way for the unions to get back at Fairpoint. to make them look bad.
Cause with my experience in communication and relays system etc. they just don't go bad as they have been or system failure, cause Verizon had made upgrades to a lot of there system prior to the sale. make you wonder