50+ members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), District 9, packed the California Assembly Committee on Appropriations hearing room, complete with bright orange t-shirts and CWA logos. What was normally a boring committee meeting turned into quite a show of unity, and certainly caught the attention of lawmakers. Why such a big turnout? CWA members were present to oppose Assembly Bill 2395.

AT&T would like you to believe that whatever they say is the truth. Like when they tell you that your phone bill won’t increase, or that unicorns exist. Such is the case with AB 2395, which is carried by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-San Jose) and supported by AT&T. The bill’s title “Telecommunications: Replacement of Public Switched Telephone Network” sounds benign enough, but when you get into the meat of it, you suddenly become aware of a big threat to California consumers, rural communities, public safety, competitive choice and good, union jobs.

So just what does AB 2395 do? The bill would allow AT&T and other telecom providers to stop serving rural and semi-rural areas of our state by simply certifying to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) that there was one alternative voice service available. But here’s the kicker: if there is no alternative available, AT&T and others can still abandon an area after one year, with only 90 days advance notice to consumers, and no public participation in withdrawal requests. Just like that, hundreds of thousands of Californians would be left without reliable service. Read More