As Contract Negotiations Resume, CWA Authorizes Strike at AT&T West

Workers Remain on the Job in California and Nevada Pending Progress at the Bargaining Table

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — CWA’s Executive Board has authorized a strike against AT&T West, subject to CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. setting a date.

Last week, CWA members at AT&T West rejected a tentative agreement for a new contract. CWA’s AT&T West bargaining team resumed negotiations with AT&T today to address the concerns members have about the agreement.

“By rejecting the tentative agreement, our members sent a clear message to AT&T: we won’t settle for subpar wages and unfair working conditions,” said CWA District 9 President Frank Arce. “We expect AT&T to come to the table ready to engage in good faith bargaining so we can reach an agreement that recognizes our value to the company and provides family-supporting wages and benefits for our members in California and Nevada. If they don’t, we are ready to strike.”

CWA members across nine Southeastern states have been on strike against AT&T for almost four weeks, and a strike at AT&T West would put further operational and financial strain on the company. Customers in the Southeast are already facing long wait times for repairs and installations, and the company has sent managers from AT&T West to fill in for striking technicians. Contractors for AT&T have been offering wages of $210/hour or more to non-union workers who are willing to cross the picket line, dramatically increasing the company’s labor costs.

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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

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