In Montgomery, Alabama, over 17,000 AT&T workers in nine Southeastern states have initiated a strike alleging unfair labor practices during contract negotiations this past summer.
The Communications Workers of America, the union representing the striking employees, stated that the workers went on strike on Friday due to AT&T’s failure to engage in sincere bargaining. Negotiations for a new contract have been ongoing since June, with the union claiming that AT&T did not send authorized representatives to the bargaining table and reneged on agreed terms.
Richard Honeycutt, vice president of CWA District 3 in the Southeast, expressed frustration, citing a lack of bargaining authority on the part of AT&T’s representatives during negotiations.
The strike primarily involves AT&T technicians, customer service representatives, and other employees responsible for the installation, maintenance, and support of AT&T’s wireline telecommunications network in residential and business settings. Personnel participating in the strike hail from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The union has lodged an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board in response to the situation.
AT&T has refuted the union’s claims, asserting that they have been actively participating in negotiations and look forward to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with their employees. The company highlighted three separate agreements reached this year covering over 13,000 employees.
Additionally, the union accused AT&T of deploying undertrained managers and contractors to handle complex technical tasks during the strike. AT&T responded by stating they have implemented various measures to ensure operational continuity and maintain service quality for their customers.
