Communications Workers of America union members voted to authorize a strike against AT&T Mobility if the concerns over compensation, employment security and working conditions are not resolved by the time the current contract expires at midnight Friday.
The CWA said on Friday that it had received votes to strike from 85 percent of the 20,000 AT&T workers covered by the contract. AT&T spokesman Walt Sharp said the company was not surprised by the vote and that negotiations were continuing. The contract covers workers in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, the mid-West, Mountain States and the West Coast. AT&T Mobility is the nation's second largest wireless carrier, with around 77 million subscribers.
Under CWA's rules, workers vote whether to authorize a strike, then the CWA Executive Board ratifies the vote. After that, the CWA president must approve the action, and sets the strike date.
"For AT&T Mobility members, a critical bargaining goal is to build a career path and opportunity for jobs within the industry, and to stabilize incomes," said CWA Executive Vice President Annie Hill.
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