FairPoint Communications is asking the public for help to stem recent vandalism against its property, prompting striking workers to deny union members are responsible.
A spokeswoman for FairPoint says the company has investigated eight incidents of vandalism to "key components" of its infrastructure in the nine days since the strike started. The vandalism has been reported to police. The spokeswoman says the company investigated only one such incident in the five prior years.
The company is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of people who tampered with its equipment.
Union officials say the company is struggling to maintain its own systems and accused FairPoint of "bogus insinuations."
More than 1,700 FairPoint Communications workers in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont went on strike Oct. 17.
