Bargaining Update

AT&T Southwest Mobility

The CWA bargaining team has reached a tentative agreement with AT&T on a new four-year contract for 8,000 Southwest Mobility technicians, call center customer support workers, and representatives at AT&T's retail stores in Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas.

The tentative agreement provides for pay raises, affordable healthcare, and a guarantee that a share of AT&T Mobility customer calls will continue to be handled by experienced, well-trained CWA customer service representatives located in the Southwest.

"I am proud of our CWA bargaining team for negotiating a strong contract that protects good, family-supporting jobs in the Southwest," said CWA District 6 Vice President Claude Cummings. "CWA members at AT&T Southwest Mobility proved that they were willing to fight for their jobs, affordable healthcare and better wages by overwhelmingly voting to strike if necessary. That, along with their months of workplace mobilization activities, pushed the company to reach this agreement in a timely fashion."

Details of the proposed contract are being provided to members, and a ratification vote will be held once they have an opportunity to review the details of the agreement.

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AT&T West

Bargaining opened on February 24 for more than 13,000 AT&T West workers, and CWA members are prepared to win an improved contract that includes wage increases, benefit protections, and a commitment to keeping good, family-supporting jobs in the region. The current contract expires on April 4, 2020, and covers wireline technicians and customer service representatives in California and Nevada.

"AT&T West workers built this company and we are proud of AT&T's historic role in providing universal service, but the company is failing to invest in its network and in the experienced, well-trained, union employees who make that network great," said CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce. "Instead AT&T is spending its billions on buying back its own stock to jack up the price and please large shareholders. We are ready to be part of AT&T's future, and help build next-generation networks everywhere people need service. It's time for AT&T to invest in us and our communities."

AT&T has continued to cater to the demands of controversial vulture hedge fund Elliott Management, which purchased a small stake in AT&T in September 2019. Elliott is pushing AT&T to extract profits from the company by cutting jobs, outsourcing work, and selling off assets. Credit-rating agency Moody's has raised concerns that the large cost of the stock buyback plan puts AT&T at risk for a credit downgrade.

Bargaining opened on February 24 for more than 13,000 AT&T West workers, and CWA members are prepared to win an improved contract.

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Blue Springs 9-1-1

Newly-organized 9-1-1 dispatchers in Blue Springs, Mo., members of CWA Local 6360, ratified a first contract including grievance rights, a pay increase for all members ranging from 4.25 to 5.5 percent, and more.