So here it is: CWA Members Vote Strike Authorization at Verizon California, Inc. Santa Fe Springs, March 19 – Members of the Communications Workers of America working at Verizon California voted overwhelmingly to give CWA leaders authorization to call a strike if a fair contract cannot be reached. If a strike is called, about 5,500 Ve rizon workers, almost all of whom work in Southern California will walk off the job, affecting land line telephone operations throughout the greater Los Angeles area. The existing union contract expired on March 13, and employees are now working under a contract extension. Negotiations are still underway on behalf of CWA-represented workers, with disagreement over health care premiums and a proposed mandatory sales commission program that the union believes would be bad for workers and consumers. Also at issue is Verizon’s transfer of work out of California. In the course of these negotiations, Verizon sent jobs performed by union members in Oxnard