AT&T has ratified agreements with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in the Southeast and West, that ensures improved contracts for around 23,000 employees across 11 states.
The carrier reached an agreement with the CWA in September following month-long industrial action over a contract dispute.
The 30-day strike, which was the longest in AT&T's history, saw more than 17,000 AT&T workers across nine Southeastern US states take industrial action against the carrier over a contract dispute. The strikes began on August 16, and even saw workers take to the picket lines on Labor Day.
AT&T said over the weekend that the agreement for its workers in the Southeast, which covers around 15,000 employees who primarily work in technician, call center, and machine operators, will last for five years and represents a wage increase of 19 percent.
The contract, valid until August 4, 2029, covers employees in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
The telco has also struck a four-year agreement with its 8,400 workers in California and Nevada, for 15 percent higher wages.
“We are proud to support the needs of our unionized employees as they make these connections possible for our customers and communities,” said Jamie Barton, senior vice president of global human resources and labor relations, AT&T.
“We believe that to be the best connectivity provider, our agreements must allow us to compete for the best people and have the best operations that can adapt to evolving customer demands. These new agreements position the company for sustainable growth and ensure we continue to recognize the work our employees do every day to serve our customers.”
"These new contracts provide our members with family-supporting wages and benefits, and address longstanding concerns about overtime and overscheduling which not only kept them away from their families and unable to plan their own lives, it negatively affected the quality of service our members want to deliver,” added CWA president Claude Cummings Jr.
He added that the agreement reached with AT&T was only made possible through the strike action that took place.
AT&T employs more than 62,000 people that are represented by a union across the US.
