CWA Fights Back Against Dangerous, Anti-Worker Utility Pole Policy

As the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) looks to expand the dangerous, anti-worker "One Touch, Make Ready" (OTMR) policy, CWA filed comments with the agency, emphasizing how OTMR creates safety risks for both workers and the public.

CWA members have repeatedly advocated against the deployment of OTMR, which was initially adopted by the first Trump administration in 2018. Now during Trump’s second term, the FCC is moving to broaden the use of OTMR to complex make-ready work—including work that involves cutting or splicing existing wires. CWA’s comments oppose this expansion and call on the agency to prioritize safety. For example, the industry has also requested that the FCC force utilities to allow practices like “boxing the pole,” which can create unsafe climbing conditions for CWA members, especially members who free-climb to access equipment.

CWA members know from on-the-job experience that pole attachment work is complex, and if done incorrectly by untrained, low-wage contractors can cause serious safety issues like electrocution, downed poles, and outages. The Commission should protect public and worker safety, good jobs, and halt the dangerous expansion of OTMR.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.