MURFREESBORO, TN - You may have noticed a lot of people wearing red shirts and holding signs in Murfreesboro that state “Honk if you support workers” and “AT&T Unfair Labor Practice.” Currently, the group of men and women are at the intersection of South Church Street and Warrior Drive… That was Jon Patterson, a wire technician for AT&T.
The 17,000 AT&T workers across the Southeast, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA), went on strike due to unfair labor practices… The striking AT&T employees are in Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Workers walked off the job this past Friday as contract negotiations were underway… The CWA accused AT&T of failing to negotiate the employee contracts in good faith, which includes sending representatives to negotiate that lacked the authority to make decisions. AT&T disputes these claims, stating they are committed to reaching a fair agreement and minimizing disruption to customers.
Employees who are on strike include AT&T technicians, customer service representatives, installers and those who maintain or support AT&T’s residential and business telecommunications network.
AT&T reports, "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. We remain committed to working with District 3 in the same manner."
District 9 is on the West Coast and covers California and Nevada. AT&T reports that a tentative agreement in that region is under review, which includes a 15% compounded wage increase and a $500 lump-sum payment. The agreement also proposes a matching contribution to health savings accounts of up to $2,000, among other benefits.
In Rutherford County, Patterson says… As for that solidarity, AT&T stated “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.”
The strike and negotiations continue across the Southeast, with Patterson and others protesting issues related to pay and employee benefits throughout the week in Murfreesboro and beyond.
WGNS will keep you informed on the progress of these negotiations, both locally and regionally.
