AT&T Members Getting Shafted on Elevator Safety

CWA members are demanding that AT&T fix the elevators in its six-story Miami offices so that workers can reliably reach their desks without getting trapped in a malfunctioning elevator. CWA Local 3122 is bringing in Miami-Dade's Office of Elevator Safety to inspect the elevators and to crack down on AT&T's failure to address the problem.

"We want to ensure the facilities that our members work in are safe, so we have asked AT&T for information documenting the exact nature of the mechanical problems these elevators have and about what steps they are taking with their building management and their vendors to fix the problem," said Christopher Walterson, President of CWA Local 3122. “Instead of giving us all the information we asked for, they gave us a two-page summary showing what we already know: the elevators don't work, and people are getting stuck on a regular basis."

Two weeks ago, AT&T informed CWA that they hope to start replacement of the elevators in March 2026, with a completion date later in the year. President Walterson got stuck himself when he was visiting the facility on local union business. "I can tell you it's a sickening feeling when that elevator stops and you don't know how long it's going to be before you get out," said Walterson. "For our members who work in that building every day, it's a real nightmare. And for the company to tell us that we have to wait six months to a year for it to be fixed is an insult."

AT&T employees have been dealing with malfunctioning elevators at the AT&T office for more than two and a half years. The elevators are regularly out of service and, when in service, routinely trap passengers. In some cases employees stuck in the elevators have had to climb out between floors in order to be rescued. As a union, CWAers are taking action to protect the safety of all 530 employees who work in the building.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.