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Some 21,000 workers at AT&T Mobility, including several hundred in Minnesota, will strike Friday if the company and the Communications Workers of America do not reach agreement on a new contract, the union said.
The walkout will be short – starting at 2 p.m. Friday and ending with the start of regular shifts on Monday, the CWA announced on its website.
The strike will affect AT&T Mobility workers covered under the Orange contract in 36 states and Washington, D.C. They include 600 workers in Minnesota, members of Local 7200 employed at call centers as well as members of Local 7250 who work as technicians and staff at 27 retail stores.
Bargaining began in January; employees have continued working under the terms of an expired contract during the talks.
Issues in the bargaining include wages, commissions, health care and job security.
“Going on strike is a decision that is not made lightly,” the union said in a statement posted on its website. “Your bargaining team has worked countless hours to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement, but this company is refusing to budge on the issues that matter the most to us.
“The union has also filed unfair labor practice charges at the National Labor Relations Board over AT&T’s refusal to furnish information related to bargaining. We need to make it clear to AT&T that this information is crucial to reaching a fair contract.
“We are counting on every single member to be out on that picket line and demonstrate the commitment and solidarity that have been the values we’ve lived by throughout CWA’s proud history.”