AT&T workers join picket lines in Southeastern US
BY ANITA STIEFEL
EDITOR@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
OPELIKA — As Americans celebrate with backyard barbecues this Labor Day, it’s a good time to remember the roots of the holiday, which sprung from violent clashes over working conditions in the late 1800s. Thankfully today’s disputes are usually settled at the bargaining table, as is the case with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and telecommunications company AT&T.
Last week, the union issued the following statement regarding a strike which began in mid-August and is currently underway throughout the southeastern U.S.
“Over 17,000 CWA workers across the Southeast went on an unfair labor practice strike in protest against AT&T’s bad faith bargaining tactics. CWA District 3 members in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee walked off the job. Though negotiations began in late June, AT&T has refused to bargain over mandatory subjects and has failed to send a representative with authority to make decisions.”
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. said he has told AT&T executives he supports the workers’ decision to strike.
“I expect AT&T to treat every member with respect and to send representatives to the table who have authority to bargain and who are serious about bargaining in good faith,” he said.
Outside the local office on Airport Road in Opelika, workers having been braving the late summer heat to wave at passers-by with signs that read, “Fighting for the middle class” and “Honk if you support workers.”
One of the striking employees explained the situation to The Observer.
“Our contract was over Aug. 3, and the CWA has been negotiating with ATT, and every day they come to the table and bargain, but it seems like the people who are representing ATT either don’t know much about what we’re bargaining for, or they just don’t want to bargain,” said Randall Kendrick of Opelika. “So, it’s rocked on about three weeks, and now the CWA has filed an unfair labor practice lawsuit against the company, just so they could get somebody in there to get serious about it. That’s what we’re striking for.
“Now, since they’ve come back and are negotiating [in good faith], we hopefully will be back to work soon, and hopefully they’ll settle something. If they don’t, then we may have to come back out here again,” he said. “But they’ve brought in a federal mediator to help and make headway in trying to negotiate.”
When asked what it is the workers want as a result of the negotiations, Kendrick explained, “First of all, we don’t want anything taken away from us, as far as what we’ve got so far. Years and years ago, our union has fought for us to get good wages and good benefits, but through the years, it’s gotten lower.”
For example, he said, insurance coverage has decreased but premiums have increased, and pay raises have not kept up with inflation. He said the strike is also about improving the lives of the company’s younger workers.
“We have these new employees, they’re called wire techs, and they seem to be getting not a fair a deal as we do,” Kendrick said. “But we’re all together under the CWA, so we’re out here fighting for ourselves and we’re trying to support them, as well.”
In response to the strike, AT&T issued the following statement:
“We are committed to reaching a fair deal for our employee members of CWA District 3 [Southeast], with wages that outpace projected inflation and many other benefits that reflect today’s competitive job market. To eliminate any doubt about our sincerity and our conduct, as well as underscore our commitment to constructive dialogue, we’ve invited a federal mediator to join the negotiations. We’ll continue to ensure our customers receive the excellent service they deserve by taking action to minimize any disruptions from CWA leadership decisions.”
The CWA website claims that with customer service representatives and AT&T installation and maintenance technicians on the strike line, the company “has resorted to using unqualified subcontractors to keep their network running.”
“During the strike, AT&T has been sending undertrained managers and contractors to perform highly technical work,” said Honeycutt. “Our members have seen them at work in their communities and documented unsafe practices, including failure to wear proper safety equipment, failure to secure ladders and other equipment, putting the worker and nearby vehicles and pedestrians at risk, and failure to mark work areas with safety cones. We are encouraging members of the public to use extra caution when encountering these worksites.”
