IBEW members at Ziply at “critical juncture” in negotiations

Workers are calling on labor family and community to help keep the pressure on Ziply/Northwest Fiber for a fair contract

MOUNT VERNON, WA (March 12, 2026) — Hundreds of workers at Ziply/Northwest Fiber who have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement for more than a year are asking for community support as they push back on management proposals to weaken benefits or take them away entirely. Negotiations are at a critical juncture, per IBEW Local 89, which represents the workers.

“After over a year of negotiations, we find ourselves facing unacceptable concessions that threaten our rights and quality of life. Ziply’s proposals to remove accrued sick days and cut short-term disability benefits are a direct attack on our workforce,” wrote IBEW Local 89 in an update on contract bargaining.

Ziply/Northwest Fiber is slated to receive $30 million in taxpayer-funded Broadband Equity Access and Deployment Program (BEAD) awards. Workers are particularly disturbed that the company is set to receive millions in taxpayer money while simultaneously trying to weaken fair wages and working conditions for the workers who will actually do the labor to bring high-speed internet to communities across the region.

Primarily based in Washington and Oregon, about 450 workers have been negotiating since January of 2025 for a new contract. Their most recent collective bargaining agreement expired in May of 2025. In November, Ziply workers held a series of informational pickets in Everett, WA and Beaverton, OR, bringing their fight for a fair contract to the communities Ziply serves.

Ziply workers at an info picket in Everett in November of 2025. Photo: IBEW Local 89

“The overwhelming response at our Everett event showed that our communities understand the value these workers bring,” said IBEW Local 89 Business Manager Richard Murray in November.

As negotiations continue, workers at Ziply are asking for community support to urge management to drop concession demands and negotiate a contract that ensures fair wages and working conditions.

Their petition reads:

I am writing as a concerned member of the community who supports the dedicated workers of IBEW Local 89 at Ziply Fiber.

It has come to my attention that negotiations for a fair contract have reached a critical point, with the company demanding concessions that would undermine workers’ rights, including the removal of accrued sick days and cuts to short-term disability benefits.

As Ziply/Northwest Fiber prepares to receive approximately $30 million in BEAD funding for network buildout in Oregon and Washington, it is essential that these taxpayer resources are met with a commitment to fair wages and working conditions for the workers who contribute to your success.

The labor of these workers is vital to the success of Ziply, and they deserve a contract that reflects their hard work, ensures job security, and respects their rights.

I urge you to prioritize meaningful negotiations and commit to delivering a fair contract that upholds the dignity of all workers at Ziply.

Thank you for your attention to this important issue.

TAKE A STAND: Sign and share the petition to Ziply CEO Harold Zeitz today in solidarity with IBEW Local 89 siblings. And make a call to WA Governor Bob Ferguson or OR Governor Tin Kotek to ask for their offices’ support in securing a fair contract for the workers.