17,000 AT&T workers in the Southeast strike over collective bargaining

More than 17,000 AT&T employees across the Southeast are on strike after accusing company management of “unfair labor practices” in recent wage negotiations.

A statement released The Communications Workers of America (CWA), the union representing the striking employees, said Friday that AT&T did not negotiate in good faith and sent negotiators who had no decision-making authority.

“Our union entered into negotiations in good faith to achieve a fair contract. Yet at the bargaining table, we encountered company representatives who were unable to explain their own bargaining proposals and who did not appear to have the actual bargaining authority required by the legal obligation to negotiate in good faith,” said Richard Honeycutt, vice president of CWA District 3.

“Our members want to be at work and provide the quality service our customers deserve. It's time for AT&T to start negotiating in earnest so we can move toward a fair contract.”

The union said it had filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

The striking workers include AT&T technicians, customer service representatives and cable installers.

In a statement to NPR on Saturday, AT&T denied that the company had violated labor laws and said it was committed to negotiating a new contract.

“The CWA's allegations of unfair labor practices are not based on fact,” the company said. “We have been engaged in substantive negotiations since day one and are committed to reaching a settlement that benefits our hard-working employees.”

As evidence of the company's determination to reach an agreement, AT&T pointed to three other agreements reached this year with 13,000 employees in other states.

The company also said that customers do not need to worry about any service interruptions and that backup measures are in place to maintain smooth operations.

The strike affects workers in nine states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Copyright: NPR