Save Texas Call Center Jobs!

Committee Chair

We must fight to save call center jobs and pass HB 1634, the Texas Call Center Bill.

AT&T and other American companies are pocketing billions in taxpayer dollars to establish call centers in the U.S. only to turn around, outsource these jobs and exploit workers in other countries who don't have adequate labor protections. All while these job losses are devastating communities and exposing customers to fraud and identity theft.

In 2017, AT&T promised to invest in its workers by creating 7,000 new jobs following the passage of the Trump tax cuts. Instead, AT&T received $42 billion in tax breaks and our members saw over 42,000 job cuts across the country. In Texas alone, we've had over 4,000 AT&T workers lose their jobs since the passage of the Trump tax cuts.

HB 1634 is a bill that will save these call center jobs from being offshored and outsourced. It will create a “bad actors” list of companies that outsource 50% or more of their call center jobs outside of the U.S. Companies on this "bad actors" list will no longer be able to receive state-funded tax breaks, subsidies, or financial assistance. Our hard-earned tax dollars should NOT go to companies that eliminate and outsource call center jobs outside of the U.S.

Sign on to the petition below to urge our legislators to support HB 1634, the Texas Call Center Bill.

To: Committee Chair
From: [Your Name]

We urge you to support HB 1634, the Texas Call Center Bill.

American companies have pocketed billions in taxpayer dollars to establish local call centers, to turn around and outsourcing these jobs; devastating communities with job losses and exposing consumers to fraud and identity theft.

Call centers are a major economic force in the U.S., representing about three percent of our workforce. Texas is the state with the most call centers in the country. Currently, there are over 290,000 Customer Service Representatives in Texas. Yet, the number of customer service/contact center jobs in the U.S. has declined in the last four years by 500,000 -- largely due to outsourcing and layoffs.

Texas and many cities across the state have committed millions in taxpayer dollars to fund incentives for companies opening customer service/call center jobs. However, throughout the last decade many of those companies have transferred those call center jobs offshore, often within just a few years of establishing those call centers; thus, pocketing tax exemptions or other abatements given to them for establishing call centers in Texas.

Oftentimes, calls into service centers go to countries where workers are exploited, human resources do not exist, and information security practices are scarce. This jeopardizes the data of millions of Texas consumers, resulting in greater job losses here in our state and erodes middle-class communities. Texas consumers deserve to know where a service representative is located as well as the right to be transferred to a call center in their home state.

As workers for one of the largest call center employers, AT&T, in the state of Texas we urge you to support the Texas Call Center Bill, HB 1634.