LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The union withdrew from the mediation process on Monday, claiming AT&T was using the process to stall negotiations.
More than 17,000 workers with the union, the Communication Workers of America (CWA), across nine states are protesting what they call unfair labor practices.
One of those states is Kentucky.
As a result of the strike, the CWA said AT&T is using undertrained managers and contractors to perform maintenance and repairs.
In a statement sent to the media, the CWA said in part they "appreciated the mediator's efforts."
"Our message to AT&T is: no more excuses," said CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt said. "It’s time to get serious about bargaining so we can get back to work serving our customers.”
AT&T released the following message Monday in response to the union withdrawing from the mediation process:
"The Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 3 has decided it no longer wants to involve a skilled federal mediator to assist in negotiations. This decision was unexpected, since withdrawing from mediation seems inconsistent with the union’s allegation of unfair labor practices. This also goes against their stated intention to bargain toward a mutually agreeable resolution. 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. As we have said from day 1, we are focused on reaching a fair and competitive agreement that benefits our hard-working employees as quickly as possible, and this won’t change. In the meantime, we will remain prepared for all contingencies to ensure our customers receive the excellent service they deserve."
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