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Letter to Paul Sunu, CEO of FairPoint Communications - FairPoint Labor Strike

Letter

Date: Dec. 22, 2014
Issues: Business and Consumers Employment and Affirmative Action

Paul H. Sunu
Chief Executive Officer
FairPoint Communications
521 E Morehead Street, Suite 500
Charlotte, NC 28202

Dear Mr. Sunu:

We write to encourage you and your management team to return to the bargaining table to negotiate a reasonable compromise with FairPoint workers in northern New England that will bring an end to their two-month long strike.

Since FairPoint workers went on strike on October 17, the New Hampshire Public Utility Commission has received nearly 500 complaints from FairPoint customers around the state about service outages, lack of information and unduly long waits for repairs. Clearly, FairPoint's impasse with its workers is having a negative impact on both the company and its customers. In fact, problems with FairPoint's network since the strike began have not only affected residential customers, but have also caused service outages for police departments, fire departments, health care providers and schools throughout the state, jeopardizing emergency communications and critical public safety services.

With the onset of winter weather increasing the potential for further damage to FairPoint's network, we strongly urge you to return to the negotiating table and finalize a new contract. Reaching a new contract agreement with the striking workers will enable experienced, dedicated FairPoint personnel to return to their jobs and begin the critical task of repairing the telecommunications infrastructure that is vital to public safety in New Hampshire.

When FairPoint took over Verizon's New Hampshire network in 2008, the company made repeated, public commitments to work collaboratively with its unionized workforce and to maintain their benefits and compensation. We urge you to continue to uphold these commitments, to resume contract negotiations, and to reach a fair agreement that ends this strike and enables FairPoint's employees to resume earning good wages and providing quality service to customers in New Hampshire.

Sincerely,


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