ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Nearly 20,000 AT&T workers, union leaders, and community supporters, held rallies across the Southeast on Monday.
It marked the Communications Workers of America’s (CWA) fourth day of being on strike, arguing AT&T is not bargaining in good faith during negotiations for a new union contract.
Some of those protesting include technicians, customer service representatives, and others who install, maintain, and support AT&T’s residential and business wireline telecommunications network.
Leaders said the strike began when workers walked off the clock Friday afternoon.
The group has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board.
Barlow said all of this happened after the group gave the company more time to address their concerns.
“We’ve given them an additional two weeks to try and get this thing ironed out, but they’re still playing games with us at the table. So our members said we’ve had enough of it. That’s why we’re out here in protest to our unfair labor practice charge that we’ve got against AT&T.”
Meanwhile, AT&T put out a statement, which says in part,
“We have been engaged in substantive bargaining since day one and are eager to reach an agreement that benefits our hard-working employees.”
The company also said it doesn’t expect any disruptions for customers for now.
However, Barlow said they will continue to protest until they get what they want.
“We got certain things that are subjects of bargaining that the company is refusing to bargain over,” Barlow said. “They at the table and they’re talking but they’re talking surface level. We need to get down to the meat and potatoes, so we can get his contract settled and stop just talking about surface-level stuff,” Barlow said.
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