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"Fairpoint workers are calling their campaign \u201CFairness at Fairpoint\u201D. Contract negotiations between members of the IBEW Local 2327 and the telecommunications company faltered and the contract expired on Aug. 2 at midnight. \u00A0Employees have been working without a contract.Click here for photos of the picketUnion leaders have given workers approval to strike, although it has not happened.Picketers said the informational picket on Tuesday morning is aimed at helping to educate customers about what union employees said will be the negative impacts of a proposal to outsource work. Union leaders said outsourcing would be detrimental to Maine\u2019s economic goals.\u201CI think it\u2019s a really sad testament that a company like Fairpoint came in claiming that they were going to be the local carrier and what the truth is is they\u2019re owned by about five hedge funds so they\u2019re fully beholden to their hedge funds and what they need to do is be  to the consumers and the citizens of Maine like they promised when they purchased the properties,\u201D Jennifer Nappi, a union representative said.In a statement, Fairpoint said, \u201CAt present, the parties remain far apart. Our main goal in these negotiations is to bring the contract into the norms of the 21 century and reflect the competitive reality of today\u2019s telecom marketplace versus the monopoly environment of days gone by.\u201DAlso at issue in the negotiations are employee health benefits. Under the previous contract, FairPoint pays 100 percent of the health care premiums and pension contributions for current and retired employees.\u00A0\u201CWith mainstream benefits, FairPoint will be well positioned to price products and services competitively, continue our investment in the region\u2019s infrastructure and continue our transformation to a technology-focused company,\u201D the Fairpoint statement continued.FairPoint Communications is based in North Carolina and provides phone and Internet services in 17 states.A union official says there are about 700 employees in Maine and 1,900 in all of northern New England."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.wmtw.com/article/fairpoint-workers-hold-informational-picket/2003924>