Roughly 3,500 Louisiana AT&T workers are on strike, protesting what they say is bad faith negotiating by the company in discussions for the union’s new contract which recently expired.
Communication Workers of America Local 403 President Dwaine Henderson says the union is ready to negotiate, but AT&T refuses to send a representative who can actually cut a deal.
“By them doing that the workers are affected, the customers are affected, and all that needs to be done is that somebody show up from Dallas, sit at the table, and let’s get a contract done.”
AT&T spokesperson Jim Kimberly told WBRZ “We’re baffled as to why union leadership would call a strike when we’re offering terms that would help our employees be better off.”
Henderson says in the meantime workers will not be out installing or repairing new AT&T services. He says this should send a message to the company about the value of their workers.
“They are sending out what is called skeleton crews of supervisors. You might have eight, nine, ten supervisors running around doing work on what 300 of us might do.”
The strike covers the Southeastern region of AT&T CWA workers and is estimated to include 20,000 total people. The Local 403 in Baton Rouge accounts for 300 of the 3,500 striking workers in the state.
Henderson says it’s the first time they’ve struck in Baton Rouge since 1983. He says they didn’t want to have to strike, but the company’s actions have forced their hand.
“The workers are what makeup AT&T, we are the face of AT&T to those customers. If we are not out there, and in their homes, then their services are not being repaired and not being installed. Hopefully, the company realizes that.”
The 403 will be staging a unified informational picket Tuesday starting at 4:30 PM at the corner of Corporate and Jefferson in Baton Rouge.
