Florence Workers Strike Against AT&T Claiming Unfair Labor Practices
FLORENCE, S.C. — Employees of AT&T Southeast are raising their concerns against perceived unfair labor practices and the alleged lack of good faith in bargaining with their employer. The workers, who are members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union, initiated a strike in Florence on Saturday.
Around a dozen members of the union protested for hours outside the office of AT&T on West Evans Street. R.C. Lee, President of CWA Local 3708 Florence District, claimed that AT&T has not been negotiating with the workers in good faith.
Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against AT&T
Lee divulged that the union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against AT&T. The accusations leveled against the telecommunications giant include: not negotiating in good faith; failing to send representatives to the bargaining table with the authority to make decisions; engaging in what the union calls “surface bargaining”; refusing to bargain over necessary subjects; and going back on agreements made during negotiations.
Protests were not only limited to Florence. Across the southeastern United States, more than 17,000 technicians, customer service representatives, and others who install, maintain, and support AT&T’s residential and business wireline telecommunications network have joined in the strike. The participating states include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
AT&T’s Response to the Strike
In response to the CWA’s claims of unfair labor practices, an AT&T spokesperson stated, “CWA’s claims of unfair labor practices are not grounded in fact. We have been engaged in substantive bargaining since day one and are eager to reach an agreement that benefits our hard-working employees. As evidence, we have reached three 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.”
The spokesperson expressed disappointment that the union leaders called for a strike rather than focusing on constructive discussions at the bargaining table. The company claims this action is counterproductive and puts the wages and well-being of their employees at risk.
AT&T assured that despite the strike, they have business continuity measures in place to avoid disruptions to operations and will continue to provide their customers with quality service.
Upcoming Protests
The protest marked the beginning of a series of demonstrations, with the group planning to hold another strike on Monday. As talks between the telecommunications company and the union continue, there will likely be more developments surrounding this issue. The workers stand firm in their belief of restoring fairness to their labor practices.
