Regarding the 51/2-week strike against Verizon by nearly 40,000 union members: After talking to company and union leaders, "we continue to expect the strike to end relatively soon," but it will still reduce this year's earnings for Verizon by around $200 million, or a nickel a share, writes New York-based telecom analyst Barry Sine in a report to clients of Philadelphia-based Drexel, Hamilton & Co.