The Communications Workers of America announced Monday that it was withdrawing from mediation proceedings with AT&T, accusing the company of delaying contract negotiations.
The CWA called AT&T’s use of the mediation process disingenuous and said the company was only seeking to delay negotiations.
“We appreciate the mediator’s efforts. Our message to AT&T is: no more excuses,” Richard Honeycutt, CWA District 3 vice president, said in a statement. “It’s time to get serious about negotiations so we can get back to work serving our customers.”
The CWA and AT&T have been in talks since early June, but union leaders have repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s negotiating tactics. In August, the CWA announced a strike against the communications giant, which has caused thousands of union members in nine states to walk off the job.
The CWA represents the thousands of technicians who maintain and install AT&T’s business and residential telecommunications network.
The CWA’s decision to withdraw from mediation could prolong negotiations and the strike. According to the union, AT&T used “undertrained” technicians during the strike, leading to massive outages for AT&T customers.
AT&T urged the CWA to continue negotiations and said it was not trying to delay negotiations.
“Our goal is to achieve fair and competitive agreements that recognize the hard work our employees put into serving our customers, with market-based compensation and benefits tied to cost of living and projected inflation. This is true for all employees, management and non-management,” the company said in a statement.
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