Letter to Randall Stephenson - Protect Call Center Workers' Jobs

Letter

Dear Mr. Stephenson:

As AT&T and the Communications Workers of America District 4 continue contract negotiations, we urge you to reach an agreement with the union that improves workers' job security and includes a commitment to create new jobs in the U.S.

American call center workers are being laid off in large numbers, particularly as corporations continue to offshore call center work. Since January 2016, AT&T alone has laid off thousands of call center workers and closed dozens of U.S. call centers. Hundreds of layoffs and several call center closings have occurred in District 4. Understandably, American workers, including AT&T employees in our states, fear their jobs being offshored. We urge you to assuage those fears by making explicit contract guarantees to increase the number of U.S.-based call center jobs.

We understand the District 4 contract between AT&T and CWA expired in April. We are sure you share our desire for a quick resolution that is amenable to AT&T and the union. We urge you to continue negotiating in good faith until an agreement is reached, and we urge you to include commitments in the contract that improve job security for your highly competitive workforce and reverse the trend of call center offshoring in our states.

Sincerely,