NEW YORK (AP) – Nearly 40,000 striking Verizon employees will return to work tomorrow (Wednesday) after reaching a tentative contract agreement. The deal includes 1,300 new call center jobs and nearly 11 percent in raises over four years but also makes health care plan changes to save the company money. The pact is subject to approval by union members. It stands to end one of the largest strikes in the United States in recent years. Workers and Verizon Communications Inc. had reached an agreement in principle Friday but hadn’t released details or a date for the workers’ return. The strike began in mid-April. The Communications Workers of America and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers unions, which both represent the strikers, call the deal a victory for American workers. Verizon Communications Inc. said it was a good deal for workers, customers and the telecom giant alike. Union members will vote on the deal after returning to work.
