WINSLOW — FairPoint Communications workers, now in their 10th week on strike, changed tactics Tuesday by singing Christmas carols in front of the home of the company’s Maine president, Mike Reed.

“Mike has the opportunity to make this right for the workers, and we hope he does,” said Bangor resident James Feeney, a FairPoint employee for 32 years. Feeney said he can’t afford to buy presents because of the strike, so his family will delay Christmas this year.

Additional Images

Strikers put a bucket of coal and a “note from Santa” on the sidewalk near the home of FairPoint’s Maine president. Photo by Jeff Pouland

Lined up along a public sidewalk near Reed’s Winslow home, 21 strikers sang “Let It Snow,” “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Passing motorists honked horns and gave strikers thumbs-up.

The strikers also brought a bucket of coal with a letter addressed to Reed from Santa. “It seems that FairPoint is anything but nice,” the letter says. “So this year I’m leaving you a bucket of coal! The workers say a fair contract is their number one goal!”

FairPoint spokeswoman Angelynne Beaudry said in a prepared statement that the company regrets that the unions are “making light of the very serious issues and continue to do publicity stunts to distract rather than address those issues.”

“We would prefer that they focus their time and effort on developing counter-proposals that meaningfully address the core issues of these negotiations,” she said. “Our focus remains on serving the communities of northern New England.”

The demonstration attracted the attention of the Winslow Police Department, which parked a police cruiser nearby.

Police Chief Shawn O’Leary told the strikers they could not set foot on Reed’s property and could not block sidewalk pedestrian traffic.

Christina Williams, a 34-year employee, said they had planned to leave the coal and the note in Reed’s driveway, but they decided against that after speaking with O’Leary.

“We hope this is effective, because (Reed’s) local and most upper executives are not,” she said. “They’re removed from the situation.”

Strikers said money paid to contractors brought in to replace them has gone out of state instead of supporting the local economy. Noting the police presence, strikers said FairPoint has falsely accused them of vandalizing property.

“They’re villainizing good people to try to bust up the union,” Feeney said.

In October, FairPoint offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone tampering with or destroying network equipment.

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