New York, NY – AT&T is continuing to go ahead with another round of layoffs.
Despite billions in tax breaks reductions are on the way. Our sources indicate that ongoing personell reductions and outsourcing aboard will continue indefinately. The company’s position is clear – the workforce needs to be ‘adjusted’.
As managers are briefed on the plans information is leaking and specifics are bleak. According to an internal memo by Jeff McElfresh, President, Technology & Operations at AT&T – “To win in this new world, we must continue to lower costs and keep getting faster, leaner, and more agile,” McElfresh told employees. “This includes reductions in our organization.”
The bad news for CWA members comes in the wake of AT&T receiving a $20 billion windfall from Trump in tax breaks. In addition the federal government is loosening consumer protections which include net neutrality.
It’s clear that AT&T’s goal is increasing income rather than improving services. Wireless sector investment declined last year. Most of the savings from regulatory changes and tax breaks went for stock buybacks, executive compensation, or to pay off their debt.
AT&T’s offshoring expanion strategy has resulted in 44 closed call centers and 16,000 lost American jobs since 2011. The Communications Workers of America claims 10,700 US-based union jobs have been eliminated in the last year alone. At the same time AT&T saw profits of $29.5 billion in 2017, up from $13 billion in 2016.
