Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Today, CWA received formal notice that Optimum (Altice) has made what it calls an “entrepreneurial decision” to sell the fulfillment side of its business to MasTec North America, Inc. This sale includes all Field Service Technicians and Quality Control Technicians, with an expected transition date of February 1, 2026 (subject to change).
Optimum states that it will no longer perform fulfillment work and will no longer employ workers in these titles after the sale. The Company will retain other Network Services functions—Maintenance/OSP, Construction, Fiber, and Inside Plant—and it claims MasTec will offer employment to all affected employees with “substantially similar” terms and conditions to our current CBA.
This announcement follows CEO Dennis Mathew’s recent message in which he claimed the Optimum name change reflected “who we are and where we are going,” and that the organization was deepening its commitment to customers, employees, and the communities it serves. He stated it was “an incredibly exciting time” as the Company entered “its next chapter as one unified Optimum.” In light of those assurances, the Company’s decision to eliminate entire job titles and sell off a major operational function raises serious questions. How does selling the fulfillment operation deepen its commitment to employees? How is eliminating in-house technicians consistent with becoming one unified Optimum? We intend to demand clarification and hold the Company accountable to the commitments it made both publicly and internally.
We want to be clear about the Union's position:
This is nothing less than a direct attack on our jobs, our livelihoods, and our future. It is an egregious end-around by a corporation that continues to put profit over people—choosing to cash in on the hard work of loyal employees rather than honor its commitments. This decision exposes a harsh and undeniable truth: the Company is willing to dismantle stable, union jobs in favor of race-to-the-bottom contracting, no matter the cost to workers, families, or communities.
We know what outsourcing really means. It means lower standards, lower wages, and lower accountability. It means handing our work to outside contractors who are not rooted in our communities. It means replacing reliable, trained technicians with cheaper labor—at the expense of safety, service quality, and customer trust. And it means stripping away the dignity and security that come from a career built through years of experience, training, and dedication.
The Company can try to spin this as “entrepreneurial” or “transformational,” but we know better. This is a decision driven by greed and short-sighted thinking, and we will not accept it quietly.
We want to be clear about our next steps:
The Union is reviewing the legality of this transaction in its entirety. We are closely examining whether the sale violates the Collective Bargaining Agreement(s), whether Optimum is meeting its legal obligations to employees and to the Union, and whether this move undermines the Company’s commitments to customers, service quality, or regulatory standards. To ensure a thorough review, we have engaged our legal team, research department, and national union resources to analyze every aspect of this decision.
Optimum has stated that it is prepared to engage in effects bargaining, and the Union will fully participate in that process. We will ensure that your rights under the CBA are protected, that all transition issues are fully negotiated, and that no employee is left without representation or recourse. Effects bargaining is not optional for the Company; it is a legal requirement, and we will exercise every right available.
Finally, we will keep members fully informed. We recognize that this development creates uncertainty, and we are committed to providing timely updates as information becomes available. Above all, we will continue to fight to protect your jobs, your rights, and your future.
We are united and prepared to take all necessary steps to protect the membership. If you have immediate questions or concerns, please reach out to your steward or local leadership.
In solidarity,
Kevin Sheil
President, CWA Local 1103
