The 45-day strike against Verizon has made great progress, the nearly 40,000 Verizon workers have reached a tentative agreement with the Tech titan, including adding 1,300 new East Coast call center jobs, and providing 10.9% in raises over the next 4 years.

Mobile&Apps reported last Friday that Verizon and the striking unions had reached an agreement in principle on a four-year contract, but they did not provide details of the agreement.

Communications Workers of America (CWA), however, released some highlights of the agreement on Sunday, "Verizon will add 1,300 new East Coast call center jobs, and reverse several other outsourcing initiatives that will create new field technician jobs. "

The agreement will be presented to members for a ratification vote after the return to work, according to CWA.

"The four-year proposed agreement provides 10.9% in raises, a $1250 signing bonus in the Mid Atlantic and a $1000 signing bonus plus a $250 Healthcare Reimbursement account in the Northeast, $2800 minimum in profit sharing, pension increases, and a first contract for Verizon Wireless retail store employees in Brooklyn, NY and Everett, MA," the CWA said in the Sunday statement.

"This contract is a victory for working families across the country and an affirmation of the power of working people," said Chris Shelton, President of the Communications Workers of America.

"After more than six weeks on the picket line, Verizon workers won an excellent new contract that will protect good jobs and preserve our standard of living......And, for the first time in history, Verizon Wireless retail employees in Brooklyn, NY and Everett, MA will have a union contract that improves working conditions and gives workers a united voice on the job,"said Dennis G. Trainor, Vice President of CWA District One.

Verizon has not made any comments on the agreement yet.

Following are the highlights from the proposed agreement include:

--A 10.9 percent raise over the next 4 years with compounded interest, including 3% upon ratification, and 2.5% on each anniversary of the contract.

--$1250 signing bonus in the Mid Atlantic and a $1000 signing bonus plus $250 HRA in the North East, and a minimum of $700 in Corporate Profit Sharing payments in each of the next four years.

--The First contract ever for nearly 70 Verizon Wireless retail store workers

--All call centers that had been threatened with closure in the Mid-Atlantic region will remain open. Three of the five threatened call centers in upstate New York will also remain open; the six workers affected in the other two centers will be offered jobs locally in the company.

--The new contract guarantees that an increased percentage of customer service work will be handled by unionized workers. As a result, Verizon will add 1,300 call center jobs, 850 in the mid-Atlantic Region and 450 in the northeast.

--Several major contracting initiatives will be reversed, sustaining work for union members in their communities and returning a significant amount of pole maintenance work to the unionized workforce in New York State. There will be a 25% increase in the number of unionized crews doing pole work in New York State.

--Existing Job security language will be preserved, as will existing language on transfer and seniority protections for retirement incentives. All of the company's proposals on forced interstate transfers of technicians were withdrawn.

--All proposed reductions of pensions were withdrawn by the company, and there will be three 1% increases in the Defined Benefit pensions over the life of the agreement.

--The company agreed to terminate a performance supervisory program (known as QAR) in effect in the five boroughs of New York City that workers found extremely abusive, and both parties will work with an outside consultant to develop a non-punitive program. This was a major issue for NYC-based technicians.

--Proposed cuts in Accident and Disability benefits were withdrawn. The parties agreed to changes to active and retiree healthcare that generate savings to the company while protecting excellent plan designs for medical care.