LAKE COUNTY ? Union workers expressed their disapproval of current contract negotiations between Communication Workers of American (CWA) and AT&T with a picket-protest Tuesday.
CWA Vice President Frank Arce said that the current contract is due to expire at midnight on April 4. A strike could begin on April 5 if negotiations are not settled.
According to Arce, the local workers” primary complaint related to current contract negotiations is the utility company”s practice of outsourcing in-house jobs to foreign countries and contracting field services to agents outside of the county and state.
“We are currently under bargaining with AT&T for a new contract. The bargaining isn”t going so well so these guys are getting together to show support for the bargaining committee,” Arce said. “Most of these guys are field technicians. Their jobs are secure in a sense, but our inside jobs are getting out-sourced. We feel that jobs should stay in California.”
Arce said that some in-house jobs are being out-sourced to places like India.
Contractor jobs, he said, are going to contractors from Canada and the Midwest.
“They shouldn”t bring in people to take local jobs away, especially here in Lake County,” Arce said. “These are good paying jobs and they should go to people here in the county. That is the really big issue with us.”
CWA union worker Shawn Heape said that many of the people receiving the outsourced jobs and contracted services are not subject to the same employment requirements as the CWA workers.
“We have background checks, drug tests and now random alcohol tests, which is fair. But it is not fair to not do it for others,” he said. “They are even bringing people to work in people”s houses without background checks. The public should know that.”
Another widespread issue regarding the negotiation is an increase in healthcare costs to the employee.
“AT&T”s management wants to make employees, as well as retirees on a fixed income, pay more for their health care, claiming that the company just can”t afford it,” it states in a CWA-issued customer service alert. “Plenty of companies are in trouble these days, but AT&T isn”t one of them. Its 2008 profits were $12.9 billion.
AT&T”s top five executives made $33.5 million last year, and they have given themselves free health care for the rest of their lives. Certainly, AT&T can afford to do right by employees and retirees.”
According to the CWA workers who participated in the protest, which took place on Highway 53 just south of Ogulin Canyon Road, there are approximately 35 area residents employed by AT&T throughout the Lake County region. CWA union workers are seeking the support of the public to help keep jobs in Lake County. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson can be e-mailed directly at randallstephenson@att.com.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her directly at 994-6444, ext. 11.
