On Strike: CWA Members at Frontier Communications in California Walk Off the Job

PRESS RELEASE

Nearly 2,000 workers in California are on strike to protest the company’s continued subcontracting of work

Frontier Communications continues to jeopardize good jobs and service quality by hiring low road contractors

CALIFORNIA — Members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) at Frontier Communications in California went on strike today to protest the company’s continued subcontracting of work in violation of the collective bargaining agreement between CWA and Frontier. Approximately 2,000 CWA members walked off the job after several failed meetings with management to resolve a grievance filed over the issue. The company admits it is in violation of the subcontracting limit but has refused to provide the union with information about current subcontracting levels.

“Our members are fed up. We will no longer allow Frontier to line the pockets of its executives and jeopardize our members’ livelihood by hiring cheaper and inexperienced contractors who provide inferior service,” said CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce. “We are simply asking for Frontier to respect the agreed upon protections included in our contract and we are prepared to stay out on the picket line until our demands are met.”

By contracting out critical telecommunications services to low-road contracting companies who provide subpar services, Frontier is not only threatening the jobs of CWA members but also putting customer safety and satisfaction at risk. Low-road subcontracting has become increasingly prevalent in the telecommunications industry and CWA has been actively raising concerns about its impact on workers and consumers. An October 2020 report by CWA exposed the extent to which carriers rely on a vast network of contracting companies to build out their networks and connect customers to broadband, often cutting their own union employees out of much of this work.

The workers have been working without a contract since April 16, 2022, when the extension of the previous agreement expired. In March 2022, CWA members rejected a proposed tentative agreement that did not reflect the value they bring to the company and consumers. Shortly after, CWA and Frontier entered into federal mediation and are currently in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The company is obligated to maintain the limitations on subcontracting that were part of the prior agreement until a new contract has been agreed upon and ratified.

The union has also filed several unfair labor practice charges against Frontier in California for the company’s failure to meet its obligations under the collective bargaining agreement, as well as the company’s refusal to provide pertinent information.

Frontier workers have stayed dedicated and loyal to the company and their customers even through its recent bankruptcy. They have been on the front lines of the pandemic, installing and maintaining communications services for their customers, ensuring their local communities are able to work and attend school remotely and in-person, receive medical care, and visit with friends and families. The members deserve better and will remain on the picket lines until the company fulfills its obligation to limit the subcontracting of work.

Key Picket Locations Where Strikers Are Available for Interviews:

CWA Local 9003
1450 S Bundy Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90025

CWA Local 9400
2819 182nd St., Redondo Beach, CA 90278
1960 Mentone Blvd., Mentone, CA 92359
1796 N I St., San Bernardino, CA 92405

CWA Local 9404
16280 Church St., Morgan Hill, CA 95037

CWA Local 9568
13155 Alondra Blvd., Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
5077 E Lew Davis St., Long Beach, CA 90808

CWA Local 9588
280 Locust St., Pomona, CA 91766
2849 Ficus St., Pomona, CA 91766
207 W D St., Ontario, CA 91762

CWA Local 9510
7242 Slater Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92647

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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields, including approximately 2,000 Frontier workers in California.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion