We Need to TAKE ACTION

August 11, 2022

Friends & Fellow Workers,

CWA activists at AT&T,

As all of you probably know, despite the newly signed extension of the CWA-AT&T WFH agreement, the vast majority (all?) of AT&T workers are being forced back to the office in the coming weeks. Many groups were already forced back in the past couple months. This is happening despite overall IMPROVEMENTS in AT&T production and attendance since the WFH program started.

COVID and now other contagious disease are still a serious threat – we’re in contact with a steward at an AT&T workplace in Texas that has at least 25% of its workforce out on COVID leave on any given day, and we got reports from a CWA member in Missouri yesterday that 30 workers in an AT&T payroll department were out on COVID leave.

Gas prices and inflation generally mean that daily commutes back to AT&T facilities will amount to a serious cut in our members’ family budgets. The additional time away from home will damage all of our quality of life.

We don’t have to take all this lying down – the vast majority of CWA members want to keep a permanent WFH option, and many are willing to help fight for it.

This past Spring our Local along with CWA 7200 sponsored a petition that, as of this morning, has garnered 4,785 signatures. https://www.change.org/p/make-work-from-home-a-permanent-option-for-at-t-employees

Now we are asking CWA members in our Local  – and CWA members across the country to get involved and get there union members, co-workers, and families involved. Please take these two simple actions!

First: Take and send out this survey  : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgXw0a1Ddd6OQtF3PNZR1jiiGPLXWlVdbtEkkMi0cg9_toRQ/viewform

We are devastated that Laura and Ed – and apparently all of AT&T – are opting OUT of the national WFH extension that they just agreed to (!). The opt-out clause was always there, but now Ed and Laura are using it. Shameful and outrageous.

But We Need to TAKE ACTION: 

Don’t resign yourself to riding up the elevator to the Tower thinking “what else could we have done?”. We ask everyone who TRULY cares about keeping the WFH option to take these 3 simple actions:

1. Fill out this WFH survey sponsored by CWA 7250, 3905 (Alabama), 4108 (Michigan), and 4340 (*Ohio). This will help us document the widespread support for the WFH option among AT&T Employees: 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgXw0a1Ddd6OQtF3PNZR1jiiGPLXWlVdbtEkkMi0cg9_toRQ/viewform (Props to Crissy, Sara, and the WFH Committee for creating the survey)

2. Email the AT&T bigwigs and let them know why you and your family need to keep a WFH option. Don’t curse or threaten, but don’t hold back with your honest feelings of disappointment and anger. They need to hear from all of us, the ones that make them rich.

Ed Beek: eb1524@att.com

George Cleveland: gc7431@att.com

Paul Rosenbaum: pr2484@att.com

John Stankey: js3658@att.com

CC: union@cwa7250.org; lbolton@cwa-union.org

Don’t be afraid! Many of us will be sending emails and it would be illegal for you to face any discipline. Use your break or personal time and send from either your work or personal email. Be sure and copy the union.

3. Leave voicemails for the bigwigs and ask for a call back!

 Paul Rosenbaum (VP over AT&T Call Centers) 908-612-3691

Again don’t be afraid, there’s no rule against complaining to a superior and labor law protects concerted activity. Let us know what you hear back.

We MUST TAKE ACTION if there’s any hope of reversing the company’s insane decision. Don’t complain if you’re not willing to take these actions! 

Finally we want you to know that we confronted Ed about his betrayal today and he could offer no logical reason why a return to work was necessary other than “all the units are doing it”, and “it’s nice to see everyone in person.” He had no response when we cited COVID running rampant in an AT&T facility in Houston that’s been forced back to the office or payroll department in Missouri where 30 people were out on COVID leave today. He didn’t remember our member who passed away from COVID this winter. 

Neither of them responded to our email that also brought up downtown safety, gas and food prices, members’ health care concerns, and new contagious disease epidemics. Laura avoided direct communication with the union today.

We fought hard to change the CWA policy, and then to get a new WFH extension – we will keep on fighting!

STAY Strong! This isn’t over yet!

SOLIDARITY FOREVER!