AT&T Contracts Near Expiration

 

AT&T locals across the country have been mobilizing for fair contracts. Pictured are District 7 locals marching in Denver and a young supporter from Local 2204.

Backed by an active mobilization campaign underway in every CWA district, CWA bargainers are working down to the wire to reach new agreements with AT&T prior to contract expiration at midnight on Saturday morning, April 4.

CWA members are calling on the company to bargain fair contracts with real employment security, including access for employees to the jobs of the future, and not cut benefits for workers and retirees.

The negotiations cover some 125,000 employees at AT&T East (formerly SNET), AT&T Southeast (formerly BellSouth), AT&T Midwest (formerly Ameritech), AT&T Southwest, AT&T West (formerly PacBell) and AT&T Legacy, a nationwide unit. The contracts, with the exception of AT&T Southeast, expire on April 4. The AT&T Southeast agreement expires Aug. 8. For the latest in mobilization actions, go to www.cwa-att.com.

Last week, 88 percent of voting CWA members at AT&T voted to authorize a strike if negotiations fail to produce quality contracts. Strike action could take place at any or all of the AT&T operations once the union's executive board authorizes the action and the CWA president sets a date.

CWA members at AT&T are coming with up with unique ways to support bargaining. Husband and wife Ray and Rachael Rodriquez, both AT&Ters and members of CWA Local 6222, Houston, Texas, wrote the lyrics for a great rap mobilization audio (a colleague added the voice) that's now posted on CWA's AT&T mobilization website ga.cwa-union.org/att. Click here to listen.  "What inspired us was the workers we represent, especially AT&T's U-Verse techs," said Ray, a union steward and AT&T mobilization coordinator. "This is why it's One Union, One Fight, One Future."