GLUCKSTADT, Miss. (WLBT) – Tuesday, more than 17,000 workers stood outside of AT&T facilities across the southeast with signs in hand picketing the company.
They are all accusing the management of unfair labor practices during recent contract negotiations.
The signs read, “Fight for more in 24.″
Workers in Gluckstadt could be seen picketing in front of the AT&T location there.
It was a similar scene for workers in nine other states, including Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida.
“We keep everybody’s services up. We install, we repair, [and] we maintain. This is the heart of the company, so that’s why we are here,” said Jermaine Travis, the president of the Communications Workers of America Local Union.
Travis says they are demanding company negotiators come to the table with the purpose of entering into a new contract.
Essentially, the union is claiming the company doesn’t have the workers’ best interest when it comes to trying to reach a contract deal.
“We are not here about the contract directly, Travis said. “We are here because the company is not necessarily negotiating the right way currently. So, we are just saying come to the table and negotiate in good faith.”
When asked about the specifics of the contract and their demands, Travis made this comment.
“I can’t really speak on the contract content currently; that’s part two. Once we get this process over with right here, we can actually do that process. Right now, I can’t speak on that.”
In the meantime, AT&T recently said in a National Public Radio article that customers should not have to worry about service disruptions at this time. They went on to say that if any issues do come up, they have backup measures in place to keep operations running smoothly.
When it comes to the workers, union leaders say they will continue to strike at various locations until their demands are met.
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