About 17,000 union workers at AT&T locations around the Southeast went on strike Friday afternoon, according to their union, which charged the company with unfair labor practices in a filing with federal authorities.
The workers, including about 2,500 in metro Atlanta, have been working without a contract since a previous, five-year-agreement expired Aug. 3 while company negotiators met with bargaining teams from the Communications Workers of America.
“Maybe they didn’t think our members were serious about striking, but we’ve been preparing for months,” said Ed Barlow, president of CWA Local 3204 in Atlanta. “Across the state of Georgia, we have hundreds of work locations for AT&T employees and we plan to have pickets at every last one of them.”
Attempts to reach officials at the Dallas-based company were not immediately successful.
The workers involved include technicians, who install and provide service to AT&T’s wireline telecommunications, including internet and phones for business and homes. Also part of the walkout are call center workers, including customer service representatives.