AT&T, union reach deal ending strike

MISSISSIPPI – by Simeon Gates – AT&T workers are back on the job today after the company reached a tentative agreement with the Communications Workers of America to end a month-long strike in the Southeast.

The new deal includes a 19.33% pay increase for all workers, and more affordable healthcare premiums.

Wire technicians and utility operations employes get an extra 3% pay increase.

In a statement, CWA president Claude Cummings Jr. praised the solidarity of the striking workers. 

“I believe in the power of unity, and the unity our members and retirees have shown during these contract negotiations has been outstanding and gave our bargaining teams the backing they needed to deliver strong contracts,” he said.

CWA district president Jermaine Travis told Mississippi Today that he and his coworkers are happy to be back at work. 

“It’s been a long month, so everybody is excited to get back to work and get back to taking care of business,” he said.

Travis also noted the significance of the strike, the longest telecommunications strike in the Southeast. 

“I think we’re gonna look back at this strike, at this moment in history, and see it was really important for workers to stand up for the rights and force companies to do right by them, so I think we did a good thing,” he said.

AT&T has also reached a tentative agreement with the CWA in the West.

“As we’ve said since day 1, our goal has been to reach fair agreements that recognize the hard work our employees do to serve our customers with competitive market-based pay and benefits that are among the best in the nation — and that’s exactly what was accomplished,” AT&T said in a released statement. “These agreements also support our competitive position in the broadband industry where we can grow and win against our mostly non-union competitors.

Mississippi Today first published this article. The Vicksburg Daily News republish it here under a Creative Commons license.