AT&T Technician from Georgia Local Killed in Cable Winding Accident

January 29, 2010

CWA is investigating the accidental death of Local 3212 member William Britt Hunt, 39, an AT&T technician from Summerville, Ga., who was killed Jan. 13 when he became entangled in wires being rolled up by his truck's spindle.

"This is a truly tragic event," CWA Safety and Health Director Dave LeGrande said. "CWA is trying to determine exactly what happened and why, and we will present our findings and recommendations to AT&T and to union leaders and members."

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating, as is AT&T. As part of CWA's probe, LeGrande is asking telecom locals to provide information about what kind of training and follow-up members get with regard to cable winch equipment and cable trucks, and whether one or two technicians are typically assigned to cable-winding operations. Locals can email LeGrande at legrande@cwa-union.org.