Bargaining Begins for 125,000 at AT&T Core, Negotiations Resume at AT&T Mobility

Above, members of Detriot, Mich., Locals 4004, 4050 and 4100 mobilize to support AT&T core bargaining. AT&T Mobility workers, below, call for "Fair contract now" in leafleting outside a Mobility retail store in Portland, Oregon.

Negotiations opened this week for new contracts covering 125,000 CWAers at AT&T. At separate bargaining tables, CWA vice presidents called on the company to set the right priorities in negotiations and recognize the contributions of AT&T employees and retirees to making and keeping the company successful.

Separately, negotiations resumed with AT&T Mobility for 20,000 workers covered by the "Orange" contract.

Even in this economic downturn, AT&T is a very profitable company and well-positioned for 2009. The company posted $12.9 billion in profits last year, including $2.4 billion in the last quarter. AT&T has taken care of investors and top executives; it must meet its commitments to workers and retirees too, and not look to cut jobs and benefits.

CWA Executive Vice President Annie Hill said AT&T should be a leader in helping to turn the economy and in providing good middle class jobs, not cutting benefits and lowering the standard of living for employees.

Bargaining began Feb. 24 at six tables, covering AT&T East (formerly SNET), AT&T Southeast (formerly BellSouth), AT&T Midwest (formerly Ameritech), AT&T Southeast (formerly Southwestern Bell), AT&T West (formerly PacBell), and AT&T Legacy. The contracts, with the exception of AT&T Southeast, expire April 4. The AT&T Southeast contract expires in August.

AT&T bargaining updates will be posted on CWA District websites, go to ga.cwa-union.org/att/bargaining for those links. For AT&T mobilization activities and information visit ga.cwa-union.org/att and for updates on Mobility bargaining, go to ga.cwa-union.org/att/mobility.