Hear From Workers

John Copas

AT&T Mobility
Louisiana

What a Difference a Union Makes

Before starting his job as a Customer Service Representative for AT&T Mobility in Lafayette, La., John Copas was injured at the jobsite where he worked in a warehouse. While he was out on workers’ compensation, his employer fired him. Instantly, Copas lost his income and his health benefits right at the time he needed them most.

“I had no one to fight for me,” Copas says. He was forced to hire a lawyer and go through a long and costly legal battle to win the compensation he was owed.

But Copas knows that could never happen at his current job with AT&T Mobility. In 2002, the workers at the AT&T Mobility call center in Lafayette formed a union with the Communication Workers of America (CWA). Under a national agreement between CWA and AT&T Mobility, AT&T Mobility workers can form a union after a majority sign verification cards stating their desire for union representation. Since 2001, more than 22,000 AT&T Mobility employees have formed unions under this simple majority sign-up process.

Workers opt for a union, sign cards, and if 51 percent or more sign cards, they get a union. Sounds simple. Except that U.S. employers don't have to agree to majority sign up, and most refuse to do so. But under the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, America's workers would have the option of choosing majority sign up or ballot election when considering whether to join a union.

With union representation, the cost to Copas for health care for his family has been dramatically reduced. He has access to a 401(k) retirement plan and a defined-pension (guaranteed) plan. He has access to a grievance procedure to protect him from the type of employer violations he faced at his previous job. In fact, as a shop steward, Copas has taken an active role in protecting his co-workers’ rights on the job and maintaining a positive working relationship with management. Through his union and the protection of his contract, Copas knows he no longer has to worry about being fired if he is injured on the job.