According to the Communications Workers of America, the union has authorized a strike should contract negotiations not go their way. Current contracts for some 125,000 CWA-represented AT&T employees expire April 4, except for an AT&T Southeast agreement, which expires in August. Citing profits this year of $12.9 billion despite a sour economy, the CWA laments that there's "no reason to hurt employees by cutting jobs and benefits." AT&T and CWA-represented AT&T Mobility workers recently went through the same process.