AT&T Inc., a leading telecommunications company, has reached a tentative agreement with approximately 25,500 union members in its Southeast and West regions, effectively ending a 30-day strike in the Southeast over improved contract terms.
The Communications Workers of America (CWA) announced in a statement that new union contracts were established with AT&T Southeast and AT&T West. Union members recommenced their scheduled shifts on Monday, September 16. The contracts were negotiated independently for each region.
In the Southeast, the agreement concludes a strike that began in mid-August, marking the longest telecommunications strike in the region's history. The CWA highlighted that union members across nine states compelled the company to negotiate in good faith.
At AT&T West, the agreement follows the rejection of a previous tentative deal on September 6 by its members.
The new Southeast contract encompasses 17,000 workers, including technicians, customer service representatives, and others who handle the installation, maintenance, and support for AT&T's residential and business wireline telecommunications network. This contract spans several states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Wages and healthcare costs were central to the negotiations. The five-year agreement guarantees a 19.33% increase in wages across the board, with an additional 3% increase for Wire Technicians and Utility Operations.
The healthcare agreement maintains steady premiums in the first year and decreases them in the second and third years, with moderate monthly increases in the final two years.
Furthermore, the four-year agreement at AT&T West covers 8,500 workers in California and Nevada. The wage increase is now retroactive to the contract's expiration date, resulting in a cumulative increase of 15.01%. The revised contract also includes enhancements to overtime and scheduling.
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. stated, "I believe in the power of unity, and the solidarity our members and retirees exhibited during these contract negotiations has been exceptional. This support empowered our bargaining teams to secure strong contracts. It wasn't only the AT&T members in the Southeast and West who were instrumental; the determination of our striking AT&T Southeast members was outstanding. CWA members and retirees from all regions and sectors of our union mobilized to support our bargaining teams, including distributing informative flyers about the strike at AT&T Wireless stores."
