BATON ROUGE - Three hundred AT&T repairmen, installation technicians, and construction workers in the capital city are on strike over what they are calling bad bargaining practices.

The labor union representing the workers is calling out AT&T for unfair labor practices during negotiations for a new contract. In total, 22,000 employees across nine states started picketing overnight Friday.

"A strike's not good for anybody," Dwaine Henderson said. "Not for the customers. Not for the workers."

Henderson is president of the local chapter of Communications Workers of America. He tells WBRZ customers who have service appointments scheduled within the next few days should prepare for delays, or possible cancellations. Henderson also says management will be taking over scheduled jobs while workers are on strike—and they may not get them all done.

This is the first time since 1983 AT&T employees in Baton Rouge have gone on strike. 

"A strike would be in no one's best interest," AT&T spokesperson Jim Kimberly said. "We're baffled as to why union leadership would call one 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."