ASHEVILLE, N.C.—The Communication Workers of America (CWA) have taken a stand against AT&T, with 17,000 internet and communication service providers across the Southeast on strike since Aug. 16. The CWA has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against AT&T for not bargaining in good faith, engaging in surface bargaining, and not sending representatives to the bargaining table with the authority to make decisions.
This strike is the longest one the CWA has been in since 1983, when a dispute lasted 22 days. Workers from Local 3601, which covers the mountains of western North Carolina, have been participating in this strike, and Kevin Doan, Vice President of CWA Local 3601, talked with People’s World to discuss the ongoing struggle and the unity among the workers.
“The past couple of weeks has been a protest against an unfair labor practice, which was filed with the National Labor Relations Board,” Doan said. He and the other workers told People’s World that AT&T was bargaining in bad faith. He said AT&T “may take proposals, but then it could be three days for an answer and you essentially have no one at the bargaining table that can make a decision.” It was clear that workers felt it was a necessary step to strike so that they could get a fair contract.
No workers from Local 3601 have crossed the picket line. “We have 75 members that are out walking the picket lines every day between Hendersonville, Asheville, and Haywood County. We’ve had zero people cross, which is fantastic,” Doan said. “So, everybody has been staying strong, staying out, you know, the unity, and the solidarity has just been impressive.” This unity can be seen on the line with workers bringing their children, sharing food, laughing, joking, and discussing their work.
Management in Asheville, meanwhile, have been forced to work the phone lines and go out on service calls themselves. “There are no new service orders being put in as far as we can tell,” according to Doan. “They’re just trying to take care of people out of service.” This has caused an increase in the time customers wait to get their internet restored.
This strike does not mean that the workers do not want to get back to work. The workers on the line described how they take pride in their work. They just want dignity and pay that reflect the hard work they put in. Doan said that “we honestly would all love to go back to work. We do care about our customers. Obviously, they put the bread on our table, but we felt this was important enough to get a fair contract from AT&T to support their workers.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, these workers were classified as essential, but since then they have felt anything but. “During COVID, we were deemed essential. We were asked to come to work every day. We didn’t get a day off. At that point, we were essential. Right now, we just feel like we’re pushed to the side.”
When People’s World was on the line Saturday, there was clear community support. There was food and drinks available for all, a band to keep spirits up, and union and non-union workers showing up to the line in solidarity.
Doan said, “The community has been outstanding, just outstanding from people honking horns to dropping off snacks and water and just their support means the world to us. It keeps us going. We appreciate your continued support. We do hope to get back to work soon, and trust me, the service levels will come back to where they were and we’ll take care of our customers like we always have.”
In some final thoughts, Doan described the workers’ appreciation of this strike being covered in the media and how firm they are in fighting for a fair contract. “Just thank you for all the support, the outpouring from the media also has been in our favor because a lot of this doesn’t get out. We don’t make national media, but just know there are 17,000 people out in the Southeast. You’re not just talking about the 75 here in the mountains. We have 17,000 people out, from Florida to North Carolina, so your continued support is very much appreciated.”
Find a petition here to support the striking workers throughout the Southeast.
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