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CWA, AT&T Open National Talks: Members "Practice Picket" for Quality Jobs
As CWA began national contract negotiations with AT&T in Washington, D.C., in March, locals were “practice picketing” to send the message that keeping quality jobs at the company is critical for workers and customers.
CWA Vice President Ralph Maly told AT&T negotiators that the union was prepared to bargain “24 hours a day, seven days a week to get the contract our members deserve.” The contract covering 25,000 AT&T workers expires May 11.
CWA’s bargaining goals include members’ access to jobs in the growth areas of the company, improvements in retirement security, maintaining quality health care, better working conditions for customer service representatives and the ability of workers to make a fair choice about union representation.
In their opening day statement, AT&T officials indicated that health care costs and severance pay were among the areas in which the company wanted “significant changes.”
Maly heads the national bargaining table and separate negotiations are underway covering workers at AT&T’s local network service (LNS).
To mark the opening of negotiations, AT&T members picketed and handbilled at company locations to alert customers that AT&T’s pattern of slashing jobs and subcontracting is jeopardizing quality service.
In El Paso, members of Local 6733 told AT&T that “we’re ready and willing to fight for our jobs,” especially in the aftermath of AT&T’s shutdown of a Spanish-language call center in San Antonio that put 600 people out of work.
Members of CWA Local 3204 went on the air with their message about AT&T while volunteering for a day-long Georgia Public Television pledge drive. AT&T, BellSouth and Avaya stewards wore red shirts and held signs that told more than 100,000 viewers CWA members “are fighting for our future at AT&T.”
Among other opening day actions, members of CWA Locals 13000, 13500 and 13550 wore red and leafleted customers outside AT&T’s Pittsburgh office; CWAers from Local 3106 held an informational picket line in Jacksonville, Fla.; Local 6350 members handbilled the public in St. Louis, Mo., and members of CWA Local 9415 in Pleasanton, Calif., marched through their building, chanting “we’re CWA, we want a contract and we want it now.”
Separately, CWA President Morton Bahr is pressing members of Congress to investigate, for possible violations of immigration law, AT&T’s hiring of Indian nationals as potential strikebreakers. AT&T has recruited hundreds of foreign nationals and is training them in network provisioning and maintenance but claims the workers would be a contingency force used only in case of a strike.
As lawmakers learned about AT&T’s action — in many cases from CWA members meeting with their congressional representatives during CWA’s Legislative-Political Conference — AT&T immediately issued a “gag order.” Workers were ordered not to talk to members of Congress, other government officials or reporters.
“This display of corporate arrogance is incredible at a time when secret dealings and employee abuses of Enron and Global Crossing are the subject of congressional hearings and intensive media coverage,” Bahr said.
Maly noted that many members of Congress “were shocked to hear about this sensitive work being shifted overseas” and said the union was continuing to press AT&T for more information on the company’s plans for the foreign nationals.
CWA Vice President Ralph Maly told AT&T negotiators that the union was prepared to bargain “24 hours a day, seven days a week to get the contract our members deserve.” The contract covering 25,000 AT&T workers expires May 11.
CWA’s bargaining goals include members’ access to jobs in the growth areas of the company, improvements in retirement security, maintaining quality health care, better working conditions for customer service representatives and the ability of workers to make a fair choice about union representation.
In their opening day statement, AT&T officials indicated that health care costs and severance pay were among the areas in which the company wanted “significant changes.”
Maly heads the national bargaining table and separate negotiations are underway covering workers at AT&T’s local network service (LNS).
To mark the opening of negotiations, AT&T members picketed and handbilled at company locations to alert customers that AT&T’s pattern of slashing jobs and subcontracting is jeopardizing quality service.
In El Paso, members of Local 6733 told AT&T that “we’re ready and willing to fight for our jobs,” especially in the aftermath of AT&T’s shutdown of a Spanish-language call center in San Antonio that put 600 people out of work.
Members of CWA Local 3204 went on the air with their message about AT&T while volunteering for a day-long Georgia Public Television pledge drive. AT&T, BellSouth and Avaya stewards wore red shirts and held signs that told more than 100,000 viewers CWA members “are fighting for our future at AT&T.”
Among other opening day actions, members of CWA Locals 13000, 13500 and 13550 wore red and leafleted customers outside AT&T’s Pittsburgh office; CWAers from Local 3106 held an informational picket line in Jacksonville, Fla.; Local 6350 members handbilled the public in St. Louis, Mo., and members of CWA Local 9415 in Pleasanton, Calif., marched through their building, chanting “we’re CWA, we want a contract and we want it now.”
Separately, CWA President Morton Bahr is pressing members of Congress to investigate, for possible violations of immigration law, AT&T’s hiring of Indian nationals as potential strikebreakers. AT&T has recruited hundreds of foreign nationals and is training them in network provisioning and maintenance but claims the workers would be a contingency force used only in case of a strike.
As lawmakers learned about AT&T’s action — in many cases from CWA members meeting with their congressional representatives during CWA’s Legislative-Political Conference — AT&T immediately issued a “gag order.” Workers were ordered not to talk to members of Congress, other government officials or reporters.
“This display of corporate arrogance is incredible at a time when secret dealings and employee abuses of Enron and Global Crossing are the subject of congressional hearings and intensive media coverage,” Bahr said.
Maly noted that many members of Congress “were shocked to hear about this sensitive work being shifted overseas” and said the union was continuing to press AT&T for more information on the company’s plans for the foreign nationals.