Driving into the radio station this morning, I saw some FairPoint Communication workers on the sidewalk on State street in Augusta. I stopped and talked a few minutes with the workers and they made it clear that they were not 'on strike', but they were doing an 'informational picket'.

The Augusta workers are part of IBEW Local 2327 and they have been working without a contract, since the terms of their current contract expired on August 3rd.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Communications Workers of America represent more than 1,700 workers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The two unions recently submitted a contract proposal to FairPoint Communications. FairPoint says that they are currently evaluating the proposal and continuing to explore its options.

FairPoint would like to freeze the union workers' existing defined benefit pension plan and converting the contributions into an existing 401 (k) program. It also wants to make changes to the health care plan and wants flexibility to hire more contract workers.

Union workers, are not happy with the proposed changes, and had authorized a strike. Currently the union workers are continuing to be on the job under the terms of the contract that expired on August 3rd.

More From B98.5