Verizon employees return to work without new contract

About 45,000 wireline employees at Verizon (NYSE: VZ) will begin returning to work Monday night, two weeks after initiating a strike that has seen the telco struggle to maintain its FiOS TV, Internet and phone services.

Verizon said Saturday that it had made progress in its negotiations with labor unions, but that it still hadn't reached new deals with the unions.

"We agreed to end the strike because we believe that is in the best interest of our customers and our employees. We remain committed to our objectives, and we look forward to negotiating the important issues that are integral to the future health of Verizon's wireline business," Marc Reed, Verizon's executive vice president of human resources, said in a statement released Saturday.

Verizon relied on managers, retired employees and contractors to handle customer service and field calls after the strike began on Aug. 6.

For more:
- See FierceTelecom story about Verizon employees returning to work

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