CWA asks FCC to move expeditiously to approve AT&T-DIRECTV merger

In reply comments filed yesterday at the FCC, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) urged the Commission to move forward expeditiously to approve the merger.

"The proposed AT&T/DIRECTV merger will provide substantial public interest benefits with few, if any, countervailing public interest harms," CWA wrote.

"The merger will expand high-road labor standards and good, career jobs for employees; create a stronger competitor to the dominant, incumbent cable company in broadband and video markets; and improve the economics of high-speed expansion," CWA added.

AT&T has the largest full-time union workforce among U.S. private sector companies. CWA represents more than 110,000 in AT&T's wireless, wireline, and broadband businesses.

AT&T respects the right of employees to make their own choice about union representation. And, as guaranteed by CWA's collective bargaining agreements with AT&T, AT&T's progressive labor relations will extend to DIRECTV's non-management workforce after the transaction, providing these employees the opportunity to select union representation free from management intimidation.

"This has the potential to transform employee labor relations in the pay TV/cable industry," CWA wrote.  "With expanded collective bargaining coverage in the pay TV/cable industry, workers will have the ability to negotiate pay and benefits, rights, fair treatment, protections, good working conditions and the career jobs that benefit their families, communities, and consumers with the quality service provided by a skilled, trained, career workforce."

The importance of collective bargaining as a mechanism to provider workers the opportunity to share in the productivity gains they generate in the telecom (and other) sectors is especially important to counter troubling trends in the U.S. economy characterized by growing inequality, worker wage stagnation, and a growing chasm between productivity growth and worker compensation.

CWA reply comments to FCC re DirecTV (FCC, Oct. 16, 2016)

Trumka letter to FCCChair Wheeler re AT&T/DirecTV (FCC, Sep. 11, 2014)