Search News
For the Media
For media inquiries, call CWA Communications at 202-434-1168 or email comms@cwa-union.org. To read about CWA Members, Leadership or Industries, visit our About page.
AT&T-BT Deal: Unions Request Meeting on Worker Issues
The Atlantic Alliance of telecommunications unions in the U.S. and Britain welcomed the proposed partnership between AT&T and British Telecommunications (BT) and requested a joint meeting of top officials of the companies and the unions to discuss employee issues surrounding the deal.
The Atlantic Alliance consists of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), representing 50,000 AT&T workers and 630,000 members overall, the British Communication Workers Union (CWU) and the Society of Telecom Executives (STE), which together represent about 100,000 workers at BT.
The unions want to discuss the impact on jobs at the two companies as they link up international operations, as well as contractual representation for employees of the new joint venture, transfer rights to and from the new operation, and other issues including the impact of the global joint venture on maintaining affordable universal service in both countries.
Through the Atlantic Alliance, formed one year ago, the three unions work cooperatively in the areas of collective bargaining, organizing, research and education in dealing with multi-national telecom companies. The Alliance has focused joint efforts on the BT/MCI merger, now withdrawn, and is developing joint organizing and bargaining programs centering on Cable & Wireless.
CWA President Morton Bahr stated that, "We are very pleased with the development of the Atlantic Alliance so far, and we will use AT&T/BT link up to strengthen our ties and joint efforts in union organizing."
Tony Young, acting senior deputy general secretary of the CWU, said: "Following the collapse of the proposed merger with MCI, BT needed a major American partner, and we would much rather deal with the pro-union AT&T."
Simon Petch, head of the STE stated: "We already have many members at BT's Concert operation which will now go into the new joint venture, and we will be looking for an effective partnership with the new management."
The Atlantic Alliance consists of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), representing 50,000 AT&T workers and 630,000 members overall, the British Communication Workers Union (CWU) and the Society of Telecom Executives (STE), which together represent about 100,000 workers at BT.
The unions want to discuss the impact on jobs at the two companies as they link up international operations, as well as contractual representation for employees of the new joint venture, transfer rights to and from the new operation, and other issues including the impact of the global joint venture on maintaining affordable universal service in both countries.
Through the Atlantic Alliance, formed one year ago, the three unions work cooperatively in the areas of collective bargaining, organizing, research and education in dealing with multi-national telecom companies. The Alliance has focused joint efforts on the BT/MCI merger, now withdrawn, and is developing joint organizing and bargaining programs centering on Cable & Wireless.
CWA President Morton Bahr stated that, "We are very pleased with the development of the Atlantic Alliance so far, and we will use AT&T/BT link up to strengthen our ties and joint efforts in union organizing."
Tony Young, acting senior deputy general secretary of the CWU, said: "Following the collapse of the proposed merger with MCI, BT needed a major American partner, and we would much rather deal with the pro-union AT&T."
Simon Petch, head of the STE stated: "We already have many members at BT's Concert operation which will now go into the new joint venture, and we will be looking for an effective partnership with the new management."