Members of the Communications Workers of America are picketing outside AT&T facilities in Bowling Green Owensboro, and other Kentucky cities as the union and telecommunications giant negotiate a new contract.
Workers are on strike, claiming AT&T isn’t bargaining in good faith. Shane Ellison is president of Local 3301 and represent the 27 workers at the company’s Bowling Green operations. Speaking from the picket line on Wednesday, Ellison said the union believes AT&T hasn’t sent representatives to the bargaining table who have authority to make decisions.
“When we bring proposals to the table they want to turn around a take that back to the company, and when they submit proposals, and we have questions about those proposals, they don’t have answers on the proposals," Ellison told WKU Public Radio. "They should have somebody at the table who can bargain without having to call back to the home office.”
The CWA union said it filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board. AT&T denied the union’s accusations.
“CWA’s claims of unfair labor practices are not grounded in fact. We have been engaged in substantive bargaining since Day One and are eager to reach an agreement that benefits our hard-working employees,” the company said in a statement.
More than 17,000 workers in nine southeastern states have been attempting to reach a new contract since June and walked off the job on Friday. AT&T announced on Wednesday that it was entering into federal mediation.
Ellison, who works as a fiber optic splicer in Bowling Green, hopes his office can get back to work soon.
"We provide important services. We have a technician here that does all the 911 centers across western Kenutcky. He maintains their equipment and I maintain the fiber that goes between the offices and 911 centers. We deal with a lot of storm work," explained Ellison. "A lot of people don't understand that our jobs don't stop at five 'o clock."
The strike involves technicians, customer service representatives and others who support AT&T’s residential and business telecommunications network.
