June 16, 2015
By LaborPress
Workers from Maine involved in the four-month strike at FairPoint Communications last winter can receive unemployment benefits for the time they were out. The Maine Bureau of Unemployment Compensation ruled that under state law, they were entitled to benefits because the company had maintained “substantially normal operations” by hiring scabs to do their jobs. About 500 of the 775 Maine strikers will qualify, said a lawyer representing the two unions involved.
Strikers from Vermont have also been found eligible for benefits, but New Hampshire has denied them. “My members suffered many hardships as a result of the labor dispute, going over 18 weeks without pay to stand up to FairPoint,” Peter McLaughlin, business manager for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2327, said in a statement. “This decision, although belated, hopefully will help them pay some of the many bills they incurred.” FairPoint says it will appeal the decision. Read More
