Union Workers on Strike Picket at Verizon Wireless Store

Picketers formed a line outside the Verizon Wireless store at 262 Andover St. on Sunday morning as part of a larger protest by Verizon Communications’ union employees over the fact their three-year contract expired this past weekend.

About 6,000 Verizon union employees that work on wireline services in Massachusetts went on strike and picketed outside company offices and stores across the state, including in Danvers and as well, saying corporate management was unwilling to be reasonable on contract talks.

Nationally, about 45,000 workers are on strike.

The contentious negotiations revolve around employee health insurance contributions, pensions and capping sick time for workers represented by two unions: the Communication Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

The unions say overall job security is also an issue.

Verizon has responded, saying management is offering competitive pay and benefits while accounting for the fact that its wireline business is declining in favor of wireless services. Verizon provides cable, phone and Internet services and repairs.

Verizon’s only physical presence in Peabody is a brick building at 26 Central St. for landline phone services, the Route 114 wireless store and another store in the Northshore Mall – the city has been negotiating with the company in recent years to bring its FiOS service into Peabody.

Police were called to the store three times on Sunday, on reports of picketers accosting customers and blocking the entrance. Verizon Wireless employees are not part of the strike, according to Verizon.

Police spoke to both sides each time and informed the picketers they needed to stay on the grass and couldn’t block the entrance to the store. The picketers took a lunch break and came back in the afternoon.

Verizon says workers on strike in some areas have deliberately tried to sabotage services to customers, including .