CWA Executive Board Approves Strike Authorization at AT&T Legacy

The executive board of the Communications Workers of America approved strike action if a fair contract cannot be reached in negotiations between CWA and AT&T Legacy, a nationwide unit of workers.  The action means that a strike could take place at any or all of the AT&T operations where contracts expire on Saturday night, Apr. 4, once the CWA president sets the strike dates.  

The AT&T Legacy bargaining covers about 10,000 CWA-represented workers nationwide.

"Negotiations are continuing but not going well.  We're far apart on many critical issues and it's time for management to get serious and pick up the pace of bargaining if we're going to reach an agreement by contract expiration," said Ralph Maly, CWA Vice President for Communications and Technologies.

Overall, the negotiations cover 125,000 CWA represented workers covered by six contracts: AT&T East, AT&T Southeast, AT&T Midwest, AT&T Southwest, AT&T West and AT&T Legacy.  Five contracts expire Saturday night, Apr. 4; the AT&T Southeast agreement expires Aug. 8.

CWA members had voted by 88 percent to give CWA leaders authorization to call a strike if quality contracts cannot be reached.  The vote was a strong message of support for CWA's bargaining teams.  AT&T takes care of executives and investors and the company needs to meet its responsibilities to workers and retirees as well, CWA negotiators point out.    

AT&T is a very successful and profitable company, even in these bad economic times.  The company posted profits of $12.9 billion last year and AT&T executives have said it is on track for solid growth this year.  AT&T should be a leader in helping turn the economy around and in providing good middle class jobs, not cutting jobs and benefits.

AT&T employees are very concerned about the company's attempt to cut health care benefits by shifting even more costs to workers and to retirees on fixed incomes, and about access for workers to the "jobs of the future," the new work created by changing technology.