More than 17,000 AT&T workers across nine Southeastern US states have taken industrial action against the carrier. The strike is currently in its sixth day.
The workers, who have been on strike since last Friday (August 16), have been supported by the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
Employees at the carrier have accused AT&T of unfair labor practices during contract negotiations this summer.
AT&T denies the claim of unfair labor practices as "false."
Contract negotiations between workers and AT&T have been ongoing since June. The current contract between CWA and AT&T Southeast expired on August 3.
Following the strike action, there has been reports of some service outages in the areas where employees have taken to the picket line.
“We’re more than happy to go back to work and more than happy to serve the customers like we do every other day of the year, but until AT&T starts acting right, we’re going to be here on the picket line because they're bargaining in bad faith,” said Eddie Maresca, president of CWA Local 3603 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Since Friday 3pm, AT&T 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 have been on strike.
The most recent update provided by the CWA mentions that it has entered into federal mediation with AT&T and had its first meeting with the mediator yesterday morning (August 21).
“We are hopeful that mediation might lead us to the agreement our members deserve,” said the CWA bargaining team in a statement sent to striking CWA members.
In response, AT&T told DCD it's committed to reaching a deal with striking workers.
“We remain committed to reaching a fair agreement with CWA District 3, and we have offered to bring in a federal mediator to ensure there is no question about either side’s commitment to this process. Until a deal is reached, we have business continuity measures in place so that we can continue to provide our customers with the great service they deserve," said an AT&T spokesperson.
"CWA District 3’s claims of unfair labor practices during our current negotiations are false. As in the three other agreements we have reached with represented employees this year, we remain committed to achieving a fair contract that recognizes the work our employees do every day to serve our customers, with wages and benefits that are among the best in the nation."
In 2022, BT workers successfully reached a pay rise agreement with the company following several strikes held over a number of months.
BT and Openreach workers fought hard for the pay rise along with the CWU, following months of strike action. The workers voted in favor of a strike, in what was the first time BT workers had been on a general strike in 35 years since the company became privatized in the 1980s.
The stalemate led to strikes on July 31, 2022, and August 1, 2022, and then again on August 30 and 31, 2022. A further four strikes followed in October, as the pay dispute continued.
