More than 20,000 workers in nine states walked off the job at midnight Saturday.

ATLANTA — Thousands of AT&T employees across the Southeast are on strike over what they are calling bad bargaining practices, and hundreds of Metro Atlanta workers are joining in.

Workers walked off the job at midnight Saturday morning.

The labor union representing the workers is calling out AT&T for unfair labor practices during negotiations for a new contract.

According to representatives for the Communications Workers of America Local 3204, workers are picketing in several AT&T locations around metro Atlanta, including downtown Atlanta, Jonesboro and Alpharetta.

The union says the communications giant has committed three unfair labor practices, including bargaining in bad faith with the union, overturning an established past practice with regard to the bargain processes and unfair practices regarding the suspension of employees and threats of discipline for participating in "protected concerted activities."

More than 20,000 workers have walked out in nine states, including Georgia and Florida.

An AT&T spokesperson says the company is "baffled by the strike threat."

"A strike would be in no one’s best interest. 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," AT&T spokesperson Jim Kimberly said.

He said that the terms offered by AT&T "are consistent with what other CWA-represented employees have approved in recent contract negotiations."

"We cannot do these jobs that we do on our own," said Ed Barlow, CWA Local 3204 President in a meeting Friday night. "How long are we going to stay out? How long are we going to stay out? As long as it takes."