Verizon employees to go back to work as mobile industry talks continue (VIDEO)

Striking Verizon Communications employees have agreed to go back to work for the mobile industry giant on Tuesday, even though their unions have yet to nail down new contracts, according to news reports. 

Contract negotiations turned nasty since about 45,000 workers in the company’s wire lines division walked off the job on Aug. 7.

(More from GlobalPost: 45,000 Verizon workers go on strike)

On Aug. 16, Verizon told striking workers that it would suspend their health benefits at the end of August if they had not reached an agreement on their contract and come back to work.

Verizon and the union have set up a process to negotiate a new contract, but the talks are likely to be contentious, the AP reports — particularly when it comes to "health care benefits, pensions, and work rules."

The employees will continue working under the terms of their old contracts, which expired on Aug. 6, according to news releases from the company and the unions representing the workers.