The southeastern division of the Communications Workers of America union reached a tentative contract agreement with AT&T, ending a lengthy strike that included hundreds of union members in Kentucky.
The union had initially called the work stoppage over what they said were unfair labor practices in contract negotiations, accusing the company of not bringing someone with the authority to agree to terms to the table. Union members returned to work Monday and will likely vote on the deal in the coming weeks.
In a statement, CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. called the determination of striking members in southeastern states “remarkable.”
“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,” Cummings said.
The tentative 5-year contract for the southeast region includes a 19.33% wage increase, with some technicians and operators getting an additional 3% boost, the union said. They also reached an agreement on health care premiums, which appeared to be an area of contention in earlier negotiations.
AT&T Chief Operating Officer Jeff McElfresh said in a statement he believes they’ve accomplished fair pay and benefits packages that will still afford the company a competitive edge.
"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,” McElfresh said in a release.
AT&T simultaneously reached an agreement with the western division of the union, which had threatened walk-outs in Nevada and California after rejecting a previous agreement.
