Teamsters Educate Attendees of National Homeland Security Conference about Bad Reviews of AT&T FirstNet Network for First Responders

(CLEVELAND) – On Wednesday, members of Teamsters Local 507 educated attendees of the National Homeland Security Conference about AT&T’s worker abuse in Alaska and the company’s poorly reviewed FirstNet product.

The Teamsters distributed leaflets during the event detailing AT&T’s behavior toward its employees in Alaska, all members of Teamsters Local 959. The information highlighted user reviews of FirstNet and encouraged attendees to do their own research.

“AT&T needs to stop preying on our country’s first responders and its frontline workers in Alaska,” said Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters General President. “AT&T profits by aggressively promoting poorly-reviewed services to first responders, and by throwing workers scraps while paying its CEO $25 million a year. It’s no wonder our Alaska members overwhelmingly authorized a strike at AT&T, and I’m proud of Local 507 for standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of Local 959. Teamsters will always have each other’s backs.”

Recent reviews of AT&T’s FirstNet criticize the service for hidden fees, high costs, and unreliable service. One reviewer from Seattle wrote, “I wish there was a 0 stars option, what a way to treat first responders…This thing is a rip-off.”

Local 959 represents 175 members in Alaska who are trying to bargain their new contract with AT&T Alascom. The AT&T Teamsters who build, maintain, and monitor Alaska’s telecommunications infrastructure frequently risk their lives in extreme weather conditions to repair equipment and keep phone and internet services up and running throughout the state, including dangerous work that can only be performed via helicopter transport.

Despite this, AT&T is refusing to honor its workers’ contributions – it’s demanding that the Alaska workforce accept annual pay increases as low as one percent and pay over $1,100 every month for family healthcare.

To date, Local 959 members have been forced to file over half a dozen unfair labor practice charges against AT&T for violating federal labor law, including making unlawful unilateral changes to working conditions, bad faith bargaining, and refusing to supply requested information needed for negotiations.

“We are proud to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Alaska,” said Carl Pecoraro, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 507 in Cleveland. “Teamsters will always stand up to corporate bullies who try to exploit working people.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

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