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AT&T Flawed Plan Results in More Job Cuts
Workers at AT&T were hit with yet another round of layoff notices on April 19, with the company indicating that another 600 jobs will be cut.
Ralph Maly, CWA vice president for Communications and Technologies, said AT&T was continuing to pursue its flawed business plan to completely abandon the consumer market, despite "the impact on businesses and residential customers."
"It's clear that reducing head count at AT&T is the company's only strategy," he said. "As AT&T continues to outsource jobs overseas and use management subcontractors to do our work, we will continue to see layoffs," even as the merger with SBC Communications moves forward, he added.
The latest round of AT&T layoffs affects workers in job positions across the board and across the country, from communications technicians to customer service representatives to sales and clerical workers, Maly noted.
After discussions with CWA President Morton Bahr, SBC chief executive Ed Whitacre agreed that SBC would offer priority hiring for all AT&T members who have been laid off since Jan. 31, 2005, when the proposed AT&T-SBC merger was announced.
As vacancies occur within SBC, laid off AT&T members who are qualified for those positions will be given priority consideration for those jobs, prior to any hiring "off the street." This agreement will remain in effect for two years following the finalization of the merger.
The union also is focusing public attention on the impact of these continuing layoffs upon communities through a print advertising campaign that hits AT&T for continuing to "make big profits here, including millions off government contracts" while outsourcing tens of thousands of telecommunications jobs.
Ralph Maly, CWA vice president for Communications and Technologies, said AT&T was continuing to pursue its flawed business plan to completely abandon the consumer market, despite "the impact on businesses and residential customers."
"It's clear that reducing head count at AT&T is the company's only strategy," he said. "As AT&T continues to outsource jobs overseas and use management subcontractors to do our work, we will continue to see layoffs," even as the merger with SBC Communications moves forward, he added.
The latest round of AT&T layoffs affects workers in job positions across the board and across the country, from communications technicians to customer service representatives to sales and clerical workers, Maly noted.
After discussions with CWA President Morton Bahr, SBC chief executive Ed Whitacre agreed that SBC would offer priority hiring for all AT&T members who have been laid off since Jan. 31, 2005, when the proposed AT&T-SBC merger was announced.
As vacancies occur within SBC, laid off AT&T members who are qualified for those positions will be given priority consideration for those jobs, prior to any hiring "off the street." This agreement will remain in effect for two years following the finalization of the merger.
The union also is focusing public attention on the impact of these continuing layoffs upon communities through a print advertising campaign that hits AT&T for continuing to "make big profits here, including millions off government contracts" while outsourcing tens of thousands of telecommunications jobs.