CWA Exits Mediation with AT&T, Union Strike Enters Week Three

WASHINGTON, September 3, 2024 – Communications Workers of America withdrew from federal mediation with AT&T Sunday as a strike involving 17,000 workers entered its third week.

“Our bargaining team was optimistic that AT&T’s suggestion that we enter mediation with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) meant that the company was finally ready to bargain in good faith,” CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt said in a statement. “Unfortunately, that turned out not to be the case.”

Honeycutt said the company was using the mediation process as a “delaying tactic.” With a federal mediator out of the picture, AT&T and CWA representatives will be back to negotiating directly. Workers have been pushing for improved pay and benefits since June.

“Regardless of whether a neutral third-party is present, progress will not be made without a willingness to compromise,” an AT&T spokesperson told Broadband Breakfast. “In the meantime, we will remain prepared for all contingencies to ensure our customers receive the excellent service they deserve.”

The strike began on August 16, when CWA alleged the company had refused to negotiate in good faith over the terms of a new contract. The union said the company sent low-level representatives and went back on agreements made earlier in the summer.

More than 17,000 employees are off the job across nine states in the Southeast. Those striking include technicians, maintenance workers, and customer service representatives.

AT&T has been using replacement workers, which CWA said caused an extended outage in South Carolina. The union has filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

“As we have said from day 1, we are focused on reaching a fair and competitive agreement that benefits our hard-working employees as quickly as possible, and this won’t change,” the company spokesperson said.