July 16, 2021
From a VTDigger story this week about Northern New England Consolidated Communications workers authorizing a strike:
Management and labor continue to clash over the company’s use of outside contractors.
Sandy Tumosa, the business manager of IBEW in Vermont, said that bringing in outside contractors hinders employees’ abilities to work overtime, and takes opportunities away from Vermont workers.
“We want to make sure the opportunities are there for local union members in Vermont,” she said.
Tumosa said many Consolidated Communications employees live in the communities they work in.
“I don’t think subcontractors have the same investment in the community,” she said, adding that it’s beneficial for Vermont’s economy when local workers have stable employment with opportunities for growth.