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Matthew Gonzales, an AT&T Mobility employee in Southern California, has filed federal charges against his employer and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union. He claims that both parties have collaborated to impose a "company union" on workers without proper employee support, violating federal labor laws. Gonzales is being assisted by attorneys from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
The allegations suggest that despite CWA's recent voluntary withdrawal from representing Gonzales' unit after employees pushed for a decertification vote, the union plans to include new hires in its bargaining unit. The charges assert that AT&T is aiding this effort, which contravenes the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) that prohibits company unions and coerced union participation.
Gonzales argues that AT&T and CWA's actions undermine employee free choice as guaranteed by Section 7 of the NLRA. He also contends that a "Memorandum of Agreement of Voluntary Recognition" between AT&T and CWA effectively creates a monopoly bargaining contract.
