Alabama AT&T workers among thousands on strike over ‘unfair labor practices’

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. ( WHNT ) — Alabama AT&T workers among 17,000 joined to strike in the Southeast for unfair labor practices.

Workers represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) went on strike on August 16 around 2 p.m.

The strike averaged around 17,000 technicians, customer service representatives and others from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

A letter to AT&T Southeast Local presidents, staff and secretaries said that due to the unfair labor practices, District 3 Vice-President requested a strike.

“Due to AT&T committing unfair labor practices, District 3 Vice-President Richard Honeycutt requested that CWA President Claude Cummings authorize an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike against AT&T. President Cummings approved this request and CWA District 3 will begin the ULP Strike…”

CWA filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against AT&T for not negotiating in good faith, engaging in surface-level negotiating and for not sending representatives with authority to make decisions to the negotiating table.

The charges also address the company’s refusal to bargain over mandatory subjects of bargaining and reneging on agreements made in bargaining.

“Our union entered into negotiations in a good faith effort to reach a fair contract, but we have been met at the table by company representatives who were unable to explain their own bargaining proposals and did not seem to have the actual bargaining authority required by the legal obligation to bargain in good faith,” said Honeycutt.

“Our members want to be on the job, providing the quality service that our customers deserve. It’s time for AT&T to start negotiating in good faith so that we can move forward towards a fair contract.”

An AT&T spokesperson told News 19 the company is disappointed that workers would call for a strike. The company said it will continue to provide customers with support and have several measures in place to avoid disruption.

“CWA’s claims of unfair labor practices are not grounded in fact. We have been engaged in substantive bargaining since day 1 and are eager to reach an agreement that benefits our hard-working employees. As evidence, we have reached 3 agreements this year covering more than 13,000 employees, including our most recent tentative agreement with District 9 (west). We remain committed to working with District 3 (southeast) in the same manner.

We’re disappointed that union leaders would call for a strike at this point in the negotiations, rather than directing their energies toward constructive discussions at the bargaining table. This action needlessly jeopardizes the wages and well-being of our employees.

We have various business continuity measures in place to avoid disruptions to operations and will continue to provide our customers with the great service they expect.”

AT&T spokesperson

This is not the first time AT&T Southeast workers have gone on strike over unfair labor practices.

In 2019, more than 20,000 AT&T workers went on strike over alleged unfair labor practices in nine states across the Southeast, according to Communications Workers of America, a union representing many of the company’s employees who work in call centers and maintain the company’s telecommunications network.

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