WASHINGTON — (CNN) Verizon and its striking labor unions reached a tentative deal on Friday, potentially ending a six-week labor dispute involving 36,000 workers.
U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez announced that Verizon and the unions have reached an “agreement in principle” on a four-year contract. He said he expects Verizon’s striking workers to be “back on the job next week.”
Verizon confirmed to CNNMoney an agreement was reached, but declined to give any further details. The Communications Workers of America did not respond to a request for comment.
The deal was reached after 13 days of talks at the Department of Labor aimed at ending the impasse. Perez said the parties are working to get the deal in writing, and will then submit it to union members for ratification.
“This tentative resolution is a testament to the power of collective bargaining,” Perez said in a statement.
Verizon workers walked off the job on April 13 due to complaints over poor working conditions and concerns about jobs being shipped overseas. The strike, which is the biggest in the U.S. since a 2011 Verizon dispute, mostly involved workers who service the company’s landline phone business and FiOS broadband services.
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