CWA Reaches Pact for 11,000 at AT&T

In bargaining with the "old AT&T," and with an eye toward its combination with SBC to give the AT&T name to the largest Baby Bell, CWA reached a tentative agreement covering 11,000 workers at the long distance company.

The tentative contract, which expires in April 2009, provides for a compounded wage increase of 11.2 percent over the contract term, maintains health care for active and retired workers and makes real improvements in job security, the key bargaining issues in the negotiations.

Ralph Maly, CWA's Vice President for Communications and Technologies, called the settlement "fair and equitable" and said union workers at AT&T "are looking forward to working with the new AT&T."

"This was our last round of bargaining with the old AT&T. Now, we're part of a company — the new AT&T — with more than 100,000 CWA- represented workers. Those numbers give us clout, but we must continue to build our bargaining power so that we can move into the new jobs and sectors of this industry," he said.

"Determining the best way to accomplish this is the thinking behind CWA's Ready for the Future initiative. We want to build on what we do best and build our power at the workplace," Maly said.

The contract maintains employer paid health care premiums for active and retired members over the life of the agreement. Beginning in 2007, there will be increases and changes in some deductibles and out of pocket costs. It also increases pension benefits for active members.

On job security, a broad range of agreements was reached that will safeguard members' jobs. The contract requires AT&T to offer a position to any worker slated for layoff; if the company does not make such an offer, workers cannot be laid off.