AT&T’s Service Outage Impacts Charleston amid Communications Workers Strike
Last Friday marked one week since the Communications Workers of America District 3 (CWA) declared a strike, leading to service interruptions for many AT&T customers. The ongoing contract negotiations between AT&T and CWA have yet to be resolved, leaving portions of Charleston without internet service.
Internet Service Disruption Encompasses Large Zones
The problem has hit several key areas of Charleston, including James Island, a significant portion of downtown Charleston, parts of Mount Pleasant and West Ashley, as well as substantial areas of Hanahan, Goose Creek, and Ladson. This massive radius of service disruptions is reflected on AT&T’s outage map.
Beginnings of the Strike
The conflict originated with the contract negotiations that began in late June between AT&T and CWA, which continued until the contract’s expiry on August 3rd. CWA, which represents around 17,000 employees including approximately 200 workers in Charleston, accuses the AT&T representatives of indulging in bad faith bargaining.
The Path to Resolution?
A recent development in the ongoing strife is a meeting between AT&T and the union, their first with a federal mediator, as announced in a CWA press release on Wednesday. The role of the mediator is to aid both parties in negotiating a new contract agreement for District 3. They are nonpartisan and equally responsible to all at the bargaining table, providing a balanced lens to the negotiation process.
Impact of the Strike on AT&T’s Service
The ongoing strike is starting to have significant impacts on AT&T’s service. Widespread service outages across Charleston are not being fixed as swiftly due to the strike. Delays in repairs are anticipated due to the absence of striking workers. Instead, around 30 managers, engineers, and replacement workers from across the Southeast have been mobilized to fill their roles.
Calls for Good Faith Bargaining
Bill Johnson, CWA Local 3704 President, expressed concerns about the impact of the strike on the customers. “We love our customers. We want them to have service, we want them to stay with AT&T, but we need AT&T to bargain the contract in good faith with us so we can get back to work and keep everyone connected,” he explained.
AT&T’s Response to the Outages
In a statement published on August 16th, AT&T claimed, “We have various business continuity measures in place to prevent disruptions to operations and will continue to provide our customers with the great service they expect.” The cause of the ongoing outages and the details of the stated business continuity measures have not yet been clarified by AT&T.
This unfolding situation brings to light the critical importance of service workers in our increasingly interconnected digital world, underlining their roles and the impacts of their collective labor actions. For Charleston locals served by AT&T, resolution cannot come soon enough.
