Qwest union votes to authorize strike

NEW YORK, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Qwest Communications' (Q.N) union voted to authorize a strike if it cannot agree with the phone company on a new labor contract by next week, a union representative said on Sunday.

"We very much want to reach an agreement," said Candice Johnson, a spokeswoman for Communications Workers of America.

The current labor contract expires next Sunday, she said. (Reporting by Ritsuko Ando, editing by Richard Chang; 646-281-6084)