Donna Dewitt and Linda Carnes join the picket.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) held an informational picket today in front of the AT&T Building in downtown Columbia over problems in the workplace.

In December 2006, the merger of BellSouth with AT&T made it the largest telecommunication company in the world.

“It is now apparent the new AT&T is not interested in continuing the previous relationship we had with BellSouth,” says Deborah Brown, President CWA Local 3706. “We have lost over 300 jobs in South Carolina in less than one year. In our residential Consumer Service Center, our Sales Associates are denied Family Medical Leave time. They are disciplined every day and terminated for unrealistic sales quotas. The Consumer Service Center has become a revolving door to the unemployment line. There is no respect for the employees – our members – and this must stop.”

District 3 includes: South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Florida, Kentucky, and Alabama. AT&T has removed a total of 1,519 jobs in the district in less than a year.

B. Robbins

photos by Brett Bursey