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Informational pickets help union workers' voices be heard
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Alexia Stout-Lang
Collective bargaining agreements expired more than four months ago for about 125,000 union workers at AT&T, and some Kansas City employees have taken to the streets to bring awareness.
For the past six weeks, workers from the Communications Workers of America Local 6360 have been gathering during lunch time each Thursday in front of the AT&T building downtown for what they are calling an informational picket.
Since the April 4 expiration of their contracts, union members have continued going to work each day with pay, but without the arbitration rights that a contract offers.
Linda Nesler, president of the CWA Local 6360 which is the largest of three Locals in Kansas City with 1,300 members, said they just want what is fair.
“The company made $12.9 billion last year and that is all profit,” she said.
The biggest issue that is holding up contract negotiations is health care.
A fact sheet released by CWA states, “By the company’s [AT&T] own estimate, its goal is to move employees from around 10 percent of total health costs, to paying about a quarter of all health costs.”
Representatives of the CWA said they don't plan to call a strike unless it's necessary.
Workers who gathered downtown at AT&T this afternoon, July 16, said they plan to continue with the informational picket until an agreement is reached.
Most CWA members in the core AT&T units perform work in one of three categories, including 49 percent of employees monitor network technical services and maintain and upgrade the telecommunications network, 24 percent handle customer or consumer market service duties and 9 percent deal with business affairs in sales or service.
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