Striking AT&T employees hold signs outside the AT&T building.

TIFTON — Local AT&T employees joined more than 20,000 striking workers across the southeast United States Monday morning.

The workers are striking against “unfair labor practices,” according to union member Michael Chitwood.

“We’ve got about 20000+ technicians, customer service representatives and other technicians who install, maintain and support AT&T’s residential and business wireline, and telecommunications network,” said Dwight Meggs, president of Local 3201 of Communications Workers of America.

The nine-state district includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Chitwood and other striking workers picketing outside the AT&T building on Central Avenue expressed concerns ongoing contract negotiations between the Communication Workers of America union and AT&T.

“AT&T’s not sending anybody who has the authority to bargain at the bargaining table,” said Michael Chitwood, who’s been with AT&T for more than 20 years. “They’re just sending a representative of the company and they’re having to take the information back to Dallas, Texas. Then Dallas says, ‘No.’”

“The strikes going to last until AT&T begins to bargain in good faith,” said Meggs. “We’re waiting on them to send negotiators who have authority to make decisions so we can move forward towards a new contract.”

In a statement, AT&T said it remains willing to sit down to negotiate a contract.

“We strongly disagree with the union’s claims of unfair labor practices,” the statement said. “Our bargaining team is negotiating this contract with CWA leaders in the same way we have successfully done with dozens of other CWA contracts over the years. … That’s why we’re surprised and disappointed that union leaders would call for a strike at this point in the negotiations, particularly when we’re offering terms that would help our employees — some of whom average from $121,000 to $134,000 in total compensation — be even better off.”