Contract Expires at AT&T Midwest; For Now, CWA Members Will Report to Work

Chicago – The contract covering 15,000 workers represented by the Communications Workers of America at AT&T Midwest expired at midnight CDT, with critical issues – including employment security and health care -- not yet resolved. The negotiations cover workers in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

CWA members at AT&T Midwest will continue to report to work for now, although that can change at any time and workers are keeping their option to strike open. For workers, the terms of the contract will remain in effect, meaning that wages, working conditions and benefits like health care will continue unchanged, with the exception of arbitration for grievances. CWA members at AT&T Midwest overwhelmingly authorized union leaders to call a strike if a fair contract can’t be reached, by a 92 percent vote.

AT&T is the nation’s leading telecommunications company and posted a profit of $20 billion last year. AT&T workers want to hold on to the American Dream and are fighting to maintain the standard of living they’ve earned by making the company so successful.

As part of the 99% Spring trainings that will be held in every state the week of April 9-15, CWA members will share their fight at AT&T with participants from their communities and will make the fight to keep our standard of living a part of 99 percent spring actions. More than 60 progressive, labor and community organizations have joined the 99% Spring; more than 100,000 participants will join the training next week.

Workers at two other AT&T units also are working without contracts as negotiations go forward:

AT&T East, covering 4,000 workers, and AT&T Legacy, covering 6,000 workers. The contract covering 18,000 workers at AT&T West expires at midnight PDT.

###

Contact: Candice Johnson, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, cjohnson@cwa-union.org and Linda Hinton, lhinton@cwa-union.org, 216-544-2226