- September 14, 2024
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A multistate district of the United States has 17,000 workers on strike across the Southeast, including in Flagler and Volusia Counties.
The Communications Workers of America is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States, according to its website. Divided into multiple union districts, CWA District 3 — spanning nine states in the Southeast, including Florida — has been on strike against AT&T for three weeks due to unfair labor practices.
In Palm Coast, around 15-20 technicians have protested outside AT&T’s Palm Coast Central Office at 5 Clubhouse Drive since the start of the strike.
CWA District 3 member Robert Oshesky told the Observer that the crux of the issue has been over the breakdown of shared costs for health insurance. All the CWA District 3 technicians in Florida — including in Palm Coast, Ormond Beach and Daytona — have been striking without pay since Aug. 16.
“The company wants to use the national average for healthcare costs in those equations, and we have statistically always paid less in the southeast,” Oshesky said.
The district renews its contract with AT&T every few years, Oshesky said, since the company bought BellSouth in 2007. When the contract expired in June, union and AT&T representatives met to negotiate the terms of the new contract.
The union went on strike after two months of failed negotiations.
According to the Sept. 2 update from CWA District 3, AT&T has still not offered a "common interest package" that meeds the union's economic wage demands, "nor did it provide for our benefits and insurance needs."
Oshesky said the union leadership has now refused to meet with federal negotiators present as the AT&T representatives have been hiding behind them.
“The reports that we have from our leadership says that they’re just not engaged in any anything beyond surface level negotiations,” Oshesky said. “I don’t know who specifically AT&T sent to the table, but they they seem to lack the authority to agree on anything.”
An AT&T spokesperson emailed the Observer a statement regarding the withdrawal of mediator. AT&T said the decision was unexpected and seemed "inconsistent with the union’s allegation of unfair labor practices."
"We thank the mediator for their efforts throughout this process. Regardless of whether a neutral third-party is present, progress will not be made without a willingness to compromise," the email said.
AT&T said it is focused on reaching a "fair and competitive agreement that benefits our hard-working employees as quickly as possible." While negotiations continue, AT&T said it will remain "prepared for all contingencies to ensure our customers receive the excellent service they deserve."
The union last went on strike against AT&T in 2019, during the previous contract negotiation. Oshesky said that strike only lasted four days, but there is no end in sight to this strike so far.
As it continues, Oshesky said he and the Palm Coast team are working to keep morale up for all the technicians.
It’s a definitely a little heartbreaking, he said, especially for the younger employees, when AT&T advertises that it is a great union employer.
“We’re all concerned with a good deal, a better deal,” he said. “It’s definitely frustrating and discouraging and even embarrassing, to an extent.”
The community has been very supportive, too, he said, with passersby honking to show support and others even bringing the technicians pizza and water.
“We’ve received a quality amount of encouragement from passers by and people pulling over, asking questions and sharing their encouragement,” he said.
This story was updated with a statement from AT&T on Sep. 4.
