Unions say there’s no salvaging FairPoint-Verizon deal

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There’s no salvaging the FairPoint-Verizon telephone merger.

That’s what two unions representing telephone workers say. The Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers say FairPoint, which wants to buy Verizon’s northern New England land line business in a $2.7 billion deal,  has too much debt and other expenses to run the land-based telephone system in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

The union is vowing to continue its efforts to get utility regulators in Vermont and New Hampshire to reject the proposal. Maine approved the deal last week, albeit with a host of conditions.

Regulators in all three states must approve the deal for it to go forward. Last month, the Vermont Public Service Board rejected the proposal, but said it would welcome a revised application.

New Hampshire’s Public Utilities Commission is waiting to hear details of the Maine deal before making its decision.

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