AT&T Legacy T Bargaining Report #27

Legacy T Bargaining Report #27 

As you all should know by now the Company and Union agreed to extend the Contract until Tuesday, April 14 at 12:00 Noon EDT.   We decided that as minutes clicked closer to midnight and we were making some progress on some of our demands. 

We made progress on renewing very good funding for the Alliance which is crucial for preparing our members for future jobs, certifications, improving skills for jobs inside and outside the company.  We made progress in improving the termination pay schedules for Article 43 and 45.  We got a small improvement in the bi-lingual differential.  We fixed an injustice in Article 15 for people who transfer in yet get lower pay than some new hires.   They continued to reject other items that are important to us that we continue to work on in the Articles.

However the BIG TOPICS – health care costs for actives and retirees, pensions, short term disability, paid illness absence and wages are still far from being resolved.  As of late yesterday afternoon the Company had still not presented a wage proposal.  The Union decided to present ours first.  We proposed a fair improvement in wages at all steps, a Cost of Living increase in the third year and a $15 minimum start rate for AT&T.  We were amazed to see that some of the start rates in our wage tables are below the completely inadequate $7.25 minimum wage and though the company complies with the law but bypassing the first step when they hire in those titles, it is a disgrace that a company like AT&T has wage rate lower than a living wage.  $15 an hour has been a rallying cry around the country and AT&T, which claims to be a “good corporate citizen” still pays some of its employees so little.  For the rest of us, we also have not had raises over the last few Contracts that keep up with the increases and productivity and, as health care cost keep rising, we all need also need a substantial increase. 

The bargaining team is frustrated and angry as we go back to the table Sunday morning.  We will keep fighting for what we all deserve.  So should you.  Keep up the pressure and keep preparing for a strike with the new deadline on Tuesday at noon.

Your (extremely tired) Bargaining Team,

Bill Bates

Laura Unger

Lois Grimes-Patow

Marth Flagge

Mary Ellen Mazzeo

LaNell Piercy

Roy Hegenbart

Cindy Neumeyer