West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin praised Frontier for outlays it...
West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin praised Frontier for outlays it plans to make in his state. The company’s anticipated investment “truly shows Frontier’s … desire to bring the highest level of services to our citizens,” the Democrat said Tuesday at…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
a news conference. That day, Frontier said it’s on track to complete its acquisition of Verizon wireline networks in 14 states on July 1, and that it and the Communications Workers of America have settled all issues related to Frontier’s West Virginia acquisition. Manchin lauded the settlement. The company will have nearly 2,000 workers in West Virginia. “Great service starts with great employees, and we have made commitments to provide added job security in West Virginia,” said Chief Operating Officer Dan McCarthy. The settlement with the union includes extending the Verizon contract with CWA in West Virginia by two years, expanding job security to cover all Verizon employees who are union members and honoring existing Verizon labor contracts, Frontier said. Frontier, which has committed to adding 150 new jobs in West Virginia and opening a regional headquarters in the state capital of Charleston, pledged to keep at least 1,600 union members in its West Virginia workforce through August 2013. The company will bring back to the U.S. about 500 online help desk jobs Verizon had sent overseas. Frontier plans to spend about $310 million in West Virginia the next 3-1/2 years, including $48 million on broadband deployment by Dec. 31, 2013, the company said. The outlays include those required by the Public Service Commission order approving the transaction. Frontier will pre-fund some of the $310 million. McCarthy said the company will have access to $72.4 million that the utility commission ordered Verizon to put into service quality and broadband deployment. Frontier also expects to have access to $126 million in federal stimulus funds the state has received, McCarthy said: “Our investments here are business as usual for a company that will be the largest communications company in West Virginia and throughout rural America."