Staff photo by Doug Strickland/ Taylor Brown with the Tri-state Musicians Union, Chris Panter, and Bodine Willis, from left, picket outside of the AT&T Building on Martin Luther King Boulevard on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local workers joined thousands of AT&T employees on strike across the Southeast as the Communications Workers of America, which represents workers at the company, accuses AT&T of unfair labor practices.More than 22,000 employees of AT&T in the Southeast, including more than 180 in the Chattanooga area, are on strike today against the telephone giant over what the Communications Workers of America members claim are unfair labor practices by AT&T for not negotiating in good faith for a new employee contract.
Members of the Communications Workers of America Local 3802 walked off the job at midnight Saturday and set up pickets today in Chattanooga, Cleveland and Benton to protest the company not sending what the union said were decision-making representatives to a bargaining session for a new contract with the union.
"Today thousands of workers all around the Southeast are showing that they are fed up with AT&T's refusal to bargain in good faith," CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt said in a statement. "It is not easy to go on strike. These families are making sacrifices because they know how important it is to move forward with these negotiations. We are strong, we are determined, and we will prevail."
CWA represents technicians, customer service representatives and others who install, maintain and support AT&T's residential and business wireline telecommunications network in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Staff photo by Doug Strickland/ Kaitti Johnson, Robert Brown, and Jason Muir, from left, picket outside of the AT&T Building on Martin Luther King Boulevard on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local workers joined thousands of AT&T employees on strike across the Southeast as the Communications Workers of America, which represents workers at the company, accuses AT&T of unfair labor practices.The previous labor agreement expired on Aug. 3 and today's strike is designed to encourage the company to resume contract talks. The union has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against AT&T for not bargaining in good faith and not sending representatives to the bargaining table with the authority to make decisions.
AT&T said it is maintaining phone and internet services using managers and contract employees. In a statement, AT&T said it was prepared for a strike, and "will continue working hard to serve our customers."
"We strongly disagree with the union's claims of unfair labor practices," said Jim Kimberly, director of corporate communications for AT&T. "Our bargaining team is negotiating this contract with CWA leaders in the same way we have successfully done with dozens of other CWA contracts over the years. We listen, engage in substantive discussions and share proposals back and forth until we reach agreement."
Staff photo by Doug Strickland/ Taylor Brown with the Tri-state Musicians Union, Chris Panter, and Bodine Willis, from left, picket outside of the AT&T Building on Martin Luther King Boulevard on Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Local workers joined thousands of AT&T employees on strike across the Southeast as the Communications Workers of America, which represents workers at the company, accuses AT&T of unfair labor practices.In Chattanooga where a half dozen picketers were outside the AT&T building on M.L. King Boulevard today, former CWA Local 3802 President Kevin Cross said the striking workers are trying to protect their jobs and maintain their livelihoods. Cross noted that AT&T recently cut 911 jobs in the 9-state district that formerly comprised BellSouth even while the company earned nearly $17.4 billion in net income in the 12 months ended June 30.
But AT&T's net income in the past year was down 45.4% from the previous year as more Americans cut the cord on landline calls and competition intensifies from internet providers such as EPB in Chattanooga.
"We hope this gets the company's attention and they get back to bargaining a fair contract," Cross said. "We hopefully going back to work Wednesday."
The strike is the first against AT&T in Chattanooga since 1983, Cross said. But unlike the previous contract impasse, the current strike is intended simply to get contract talks resumed for a new labor pact, not because of the lack of a union contract.
AT&T has cut its staff to less than half of what it once was in Chattanooga as automation and competition has reshaped the market. But Kimberly said the company "is offering terms that would help our employees – some of whom average from $121,000 to $134,000 in total compensation – be even better off."
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 757-6340.