CWA forces 21,000 AT&T Mobility workers to stay on job as contract expires
By
Mark Witkowski
27 February 2017
Nearly two weeks after the labor contract expired covering 21,000 AT&T Mobility wireless workers, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) continues to force its members to work although the CWA admits the parties “remain miles apart on all major issues.” AT&T, which made $13 billion in 2016 profits, is demanding higher health care contributions, further limits on sick time, increased productivity and continued outsourcing of jobs.
The CWA agreed to an extension of the contract when it expired on February 11 even though rank-and-file workers had voted by 93 percent to authorize a strike. The extension agreement requires the union to give 72 hours’ notice before a walkout.
Just four days later the CWA announced talks had broken off because “the company continues to make greedy and retrogressive demands.” A two-week “cooling off period” agreed to on February 15 is scheduled to end this week and talks are supposed to resume.
The contract primarily covers technicians, retail workers and call center agents in locations in 37 states across every region of the United States except the South. Another 20,000 wireless workers in the South, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have contracts with different expiration dates.
AT&T is the second largest wireless telecom carrier—just behind Verizon—in the United States with approximately 135 million wireless subscribers. The company generated $164 billion in revenues in 2016. The giant telecom is the result of mergers and acquisitions by AT&T, former regional Bell operating companies and other telecom providers.
Reflecting their determination to fight, workers have taken to expressing their anger on…