The CWA AT&T Southeast Picket Line Never Sleeps

This Labor Day weekend, while many workers took a much-needed rest, CWA members were hard at work keeping the pressure on AT&T to come back to the bargaining table ready to hammer out a plan. Over 17,000 AT&T Southeast workers represented by CWA have been on an unfair labor practice strike for nearly three weeks over the company’s failure to bargain in good faith.

Earlier today, AT&T sent a disingenuous message to striking CWA members. The message, which it also shared with the public, claimed that the company had presented its “final” offer and included misleading claims about AT&T’s proposal. In response, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. issued a statement criticizing the company for engaging in “direct dealing” and highlighting areas in which AT&T’s proposal falls short.

“I have personally spoken to AT&T CEO John Stankey multiple times since the strike began. AT&T finally provided a complete proposal after I demanded that he put it on the table. I am extremely disappointed that this proposal does not meet my, or our members’, expectations. However, after weeks of waiting and the sacrifice of our members who have been on strike, holding the line for 20 days, we finally have an economic package that our bargaining committee can respond to,” President Cummings wrote. He continued, “It’s time for AT&T to engage in productive bargaining where it belongs—at the bargaining table—so we can get back to work serving our customers.”

 
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. kicked off Labor Day weekend by visiting the picket line and speaking directly with workers currently on strike against AT&T.

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Labor Day weekend saw the official start of the college football season. Fans in the Southeast got to see a different kind of team spirit as members of CWA chartered mobile billboard trucks and distributed flyers to spread the news about the strike.

 
CWA members showed their solidarity outside college football stadiums, where mobile billboards helped spread the news about the regional strike against AT&T. Here, members and family of CWA Local 3204 in Atlanta, Ga., showed their union pride.

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Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su met with striking AT&T Southeast members at the Charlotte, N.C., Labor Day parade. Secretary Su led the march along with the striking workers. 

 
Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su speaks with striking CWA members at the Charlotte Labor Day Parade.

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CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt took to the airwaves to further spread the news of the strike and make the case why AT&T should come to the bargaining table ready to bargain.

“If we gotta stay locked up in a room for 24 hours, that's what we’re willing to do. It’s our opinion that we could have a contract within a couple of days. We just have to have someone here who can give the final go-ahead.” When asked about the impact on customers Honeycutt said, “The company says it can meet its customers' needs but we find that kind of doubtful. When you have 17,000 employees out there’s no way you can have a handful of people keeping up with everything.” He stressed that members want to work, but need a fair contract and, for that to happen, AT&T has to send people to the table who have the knowledge and authority to bargain.

You can watch the entire video here.

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On Sunday afternoon, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. participated in the coin toss for the nationally televised 2024 Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. After the coin toss, he highlighted the AT&T Southeast strike and asked customers to support the striking workers. Earlier in the weekend, President Cummings received the Jerry Kramer NFL Alumni 2024 Man of the Year award for his help distributing National Child ID Program Kits, which enable parents and caregivers to safely store their child’s vital information at home. This information can assist law enforcement if they ever need it to locate a missing child.

You can support your union siblings on strike by visiting a picket line, signing our petition, or contributing to their strike fund.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.