AT&T "Legacy T" Bargaining Report #12

The full table met again today and some small progress was made.

For those of you who haven't gone through a bargaining cycle before, there is a term "TA", which stands for "Tentative Agreement."  Something is "TAed" when both parties have reached agreement – it can be over an article, a letter of agreement, or even the whole Contract.  The agreement is "tentative" because the members must vote to ratify the Contract.  Everything is tentative until that is ratified.  The Union yesterday gave a "TA" on two articles: Article 7 and 12.

The Company presented new proposals on Article 12, 16, 21, and 34.  Some carried over the retrogressive demands they made before; some slightly backed off their earlier proposals.  They actually responded positively to a couple of our issues.

That said, there is still a LONG, LONG way to go.  On the key issues – Health Care, Job Security and the Company proposal for new commission-based titles – we are still as far apart as we were on Day 1.

The Union passed proposals to make improvements in titles covered under Article 46 and 41.  Funeral time under the Absence article (Article 20) was discussed.  We also made a proposal concerning "Neutrality and Card Check" which would make it easier for workers in new subsidiaries of AT&T, and non-management workers doing a large variety of new work, to organize into the CWA.  The more of these workers that are covered by Collective Bargaining Agreements, the stronger we all are.

March 19 is "Employment Security Day" in AT&T offices around the country.  In case you didn't see it, attached is the leaflet that is being distributed today.

With only 17 days left before expiration, it is crucial that Mobilization Activities are heating up in every location.