The US communications giant AT&T and the company’s largest labor union reached a settlement in a lawsuit. According to the settlement agreement, AT&T will protect at least 29,000 fixed-line technical positions by 2023. In addition to job protection, AT&T also agreed to hire 6,000 customer service employees and make Martin Luther King Day a holiday for all union employees.
For Communications Workers of America (Communications Workers of America), AT&T’s compromise is a big victory. AT&T has been cutting costs, divesting businesses, and selling assets for some time. Last year AT&T laid off 3,400 union positions.
AT&T’s goal this year is to add 2.5 million new fiber broadband customers, so it needs the support of network technicians. From this perspective, the agreement is also beneficial to AT&T. It is reported that as of the end of January this year, approximately 85,000 AT&T employees have joined the trade union.
