Members of Henrico County-based Local 2201 of the Communications Workers of America walked off the job early Wednesday in a strike against Verizon.

The local, which reports 1,743 Verizon employees among its members in Richmond and Petersburg, has picketers outside Verizon outlets, including the customer service center at 3011 Hungary Spring Road.

The strike could affect service in Verizon’s Fios Internet, tele- phone and TV businesses in several East Coast states, including Virginia, New York and Massachusetts. The walkout does not extend to the wireless operation.

The strike began around 6 a.m. Wednesday when nearly 40,000 Verizon workers walked out after contract talks hit an impasse.

The strike was called by the CWA and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers that jointly represent employees with such jobs as customer services representatives and network technicians in Verizon Communications Inc.’s traditional and shrinking landline phone operations.

Union workers have been offered a 6 percent wage increase, but have rejected Verizon’s insistence on health insurance and pension cuts for active and retired workers in the new contract, according to the CWA. The old contract just expired.

The unions note that Verizon earned $18 billion in profit last year and are calling on the company to return to the bargaining table to negotiate “a fair agreement.”

Verizon officials said the company has mobilized management and other non-union personnel to handle service requests, but expects some delays in responding because of the strike.