CWA Members at AT&T West Are On Strike

CWA Members at AT&T West Are On Strike

 For More Information Contact:                                                                                                     

 Libby Sayre (916) 541-3765, lsayre@cwa-union.org or Sara Steffens (510) 332-9483, ssteffens@cwa-union.org     To speak with AT&T workers, or to find a picket line, please contact us.

Sacramento, Calif.— Members of the Communications Workers of America at AT&T West have called an unfair labor practice strike and are off the job and on picket lines across California and Nevada.

CWA represents approximately 18,000 workers at AT&T West. These employees maintain and repair the fiber and copper networks over which regular telephone and cellular telephone signal travels; repair and install residential and business telephone systems; install AT&T’s video product; and provide customer service and sales to AT&T customers. 

The union has filed dozens of Unfair Labor Practice Charges with the National Labor Relations Board over AT&T conduct that violates federal labor laws. The NLRB has issued a complaint against AT&T in response to two of the charges and is reviewing several others.

Frustration over AT&T’s repeated violations of workers’ rights has prompted today’s Unfair Labor Practice strike.

“Contract negotiations are never easy,” said CWA District 9 Vice President Jim Weitkamp. “But when AT&T violates the law repeatedly, the process really can’t work.  Given AT&T’s record profits, tax breaks and jaw-dropping executive compensation, there is no reason for them to insist on lowering the standard of living of a single worker.”

In months of contract negotiations, AT&T has demanded major concessions from workers on health care, job security, scheduling, sick leave, disability, and pensions. Members have been working under an expired contract since April 8.

“We won’t buckle under to corporate fear tactics, threats and intimidation,” said Orange Richardson an AT&T Splicing Technician based out of San Francisco. “A huge, very profitable company like AT&T can maintain decent working conditions for its workers.”

AT&T violated provisions of the National Labor Relations Act by denying workers’ rights to engage in protected, concerted activity; and by implementing unilateral changes without bargaining.  Workers are especially angry about AT&T’s abrupt, unannounced changes in working conditions for the U-Verse Video Technicians and for management threats of discipline for wearing union stickers and buttons. Union members were quick to protest, staging a series of concerted actions escalating to today’s general unfair labor practice strike.

4,500 AT&T workers in the East also are conducting an Unfair Labor Practice strike today. They are also currently working under an expired contract.

AT&T is the largest and most profitable company in the communications industry. It’s the 12th biggest company in America. In 2010, AT&T recorded profits of $19.86 billion on revenues of $124 billion. Last year, AT&T made $20 billion in profits.