CWA Urges AT&T Southeast To 'Get Serious' in Bargaining

The Communications Workers of America said AT&T Southeast should get serious about bargaining a fair contract before the current one was to have expired Saturday night, said a CWA news release Friday. CWA represents 28,000 workers at AT&T Southeast in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Last week, CWA members at AT&T Southeast authorized union leaders to call a strike if a contract couldn't be agreed, the release said. The CWA bargaining team said AT&T Southeast management continued to demand concessions in job security, healthcare, and working conditions, including a demand for excessive forced overtime, the union said. The telco didn't comment Friday. A separate contract covering workers at YP Holdings also was to have expired Saturday evening. Verizon separately passed a contract deadline with the CWA, which also is criticizing that company (see 1508070029).