Verizon Preparing for Biggest U.S. Strike in Years

About 40,000 Verizon employees may start striking on Wednesday, in an effort to push the telecommunications company to reach a new contract that limits outsourcing and improves pension benefits.

The employees, who primarily work for Verizon's East Coast landline phone and internet operations and have been working without a contract since August, are represented by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Wall Street Journal reported.