In The News - AT&T Members Launch ‘One Year to Contract’ Mobilization

With one year to go before AT&T contracts expire, CWA locals representing members at the telecom giant have kicked off a campaign of leafleting and workplace actions.

From Minnesota to California to Florida, members distributed leaflets to the public outside AT&T offices, handed out flyers to members, brought information to Mobility members at retail stores and other locations, among a host of other activities. In Ohio, for instance, Local 4320 members wore solidarity stickers saying CWA at AT&T, "one union, one fight and one future."

AT&T Mobility members showed a united CWA at AT&T as they prepare for the AT&T Mobility Orange negotiations. That contract expires in February 2009. 

A National AT&T Mobilization Committee with representation from every district and the Communications and Technologies sector met in April to coordinate actions, improve communications and begin to plan strategies across districts for bargaining.

CWA's telecom vice presidents set up the committee to develop a mobilization plan as one union at AT&T with shared bargaining goals.

"At the new AT&T, rapid changes to technology and other developments require us to think about new ways to deal with our issues and to develop innovative strategies and unified action that will result in successful negotiations for our members," said CWA Executive Vice President Jeff Rechenbach, who heads the Telecom Office.