![An AT&T logo adorns a worker's van on April 1 in Miami, Fla.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1100/quality/85/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1a%2F09%2Ffdad3ebc458aa6f3c19f474af9af%2Fgettyimages-2130974539.jpg)
An AT&T logodesign decorates a employee’s van on April 1 in Miami, Fla. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
More than 17,000 AT&T employees throughout the Southeast are on strike after implicating business management of “unfair labor practices” throughout current agreement settlements.
A declaration released Friday by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) — the union representing the striking staffmembers — stated AT&T did not deal in excellent faith and sentout arbitrators who didn’t have any authority to make choices.
“Our union wentinto into settlements in a great faith effort to reach a reasonable agreement, however we haveactually been satisfied at the table by business agents who were notable to discuss their own bargaining propositions and did not appear to have the real bargaining authority needed by the legal commitment to deal in excellent faith,” stated CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt.
“Our members desire to be on the task, offering the quality service that our clients shouldhave. It’s time for AT&T to start negotiating in great faith so that we can relocation forward towards a reasonable agreement.”
![A person walked by an AT&T logo on a blue screen.](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2632x2632+658+0/resize/100/quality/15/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff0%2Fa8%2F6237fed94f0691aea309f2f7791e%2Fgettyimages-1247531909.jpg)
The union stated it had submitted a problem with the National Labor Relations Board.
The striking employees consistof professionals, consumer service agents, and AT&T wire setup employees.
In a declaration to NPR on Saturday, AT&T rejected the business was breaking any labor laws and stated it’s excited to workout a brand-new agreement.
“CWA’s declares of unreasonable labor practices are not grounded in truth,” the business stated. “We haveactually been engaged in substantive bargaining giventhat day 1 and are excited to reach an arrangement that advantages our hard-working staffmembers.”
AT&T mentioned 3 other contracts reached this year with 13,000 staffmembers in other states as proof that it was dedicated to reaching a offer.
The business likewise stated clients shouldn’t have to concern about any service interruptions and that it had backup procedures in pl