Bell Atlantic and IBEW Reach Agreement on Two-Year Contract Extensions in New Jersey and Pennsylvania

Bell Atlantic and IBEW Reach Agreement on Two-Year Contract Extensions in New Jersey and Pennsylvania

Pacts Extended to 2002

October 16, 1998

NEW YORK -- Bell Atlantic has reached a tentative agreement
with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in New Jersey
and Pennsylvania on a two-year extension of the current contracts with the
union in those states.

Under the agreement, the current contracts -- which expire on Aug.
5, 2000 -- will be extended to Aug. 10, 2002. Wages will increase by 10.8
percent -- 4.8 percent in April 1999; 3 percent in May 2000, and 3 percent
in May 2001. Pensions will increase by 11 percent, and there will be
improvements in a variety of other benefits and working conditions.

The proposed contract extensions cover 9,400 IBEW-represented
employees -- 8,000 technicians and craft workers in New Jersey and 1,400
operator services employees in Pennsylvania. The union will submit the
agreements to its members for ratification by Nov. 20.

Last August, Bell Atlantic reached agreement on new, two-year
contracts with the IBEW in New York and New England and the
Communications Workers of America in 13 states and the District of
Columbia. Those contracts cover 86,000 employees.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry.
With more than 41 million telephone access lines and more than seven million wireless
customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice
and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of
directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in
high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.