Mesa office closing

To All Locals:

Please see the attached from Local 7050 President David Blackburn in his continuing effort to keep the Mesa office opened.

Local 7050, Local 1051 and Local 13500 are to be commended on their efforts to protect their members.

In Unity,

Bill Bates
CWA Representative

BB:drk
opeiu-2, afl-cio

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FYI,

The attached letters were hand-delivered by me today to the Governor of Arizona and the 5 Corporation Commissioners of Arizona. I also included the information from the C&T web page on the Pittsburgh office and the news release from Representative Barney Frank etc.

David Blackburn
President
CWA Local 7050

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April 5, 2006

The Honorable Janet Napolitano
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Governor Napolitano,

I sent you an Email on 2/23/06 and have not received any response from your office as of 4/5/06. I am again requesting that your office investigate the closing of the AT&T Arizona Small Business Customer Care Center located @ 1355 W. University Drive, Mesa Arizona. The office will close on 4/21/06 unless AT&T changes their plans.

When AT&T/SBC testified in its case for the State of Arizona to approve the AT&T/SBC merger, AT&T/SBC indicated that they had no intention to reduce jobs in Arizona. That turns out to be a false statement made to the State by AT&T/SBC. In fact AT&T announced on 02/21/06 that they would close the Small Business Customer Care Center on 4/21/06. This office closure is in direct conflict to what AT&T/SBC indicated in its case for the State approval of their merger.

The work performed at the Mesa, AZ center will be moved to Reynoldsburg, OH. 47 AT&T employees will loose their jobs or take a retirement package; only 10 employees will follow their work to Ohio. Again as in past years AT&T takes work from Arizona and moves to another State or in many cases another Country. Again due to the actions of AT&T Arizona looses good high paying jobs, income for workers, taxes to the state, and voters. Within the last two years AT&T has closed the Teleconferencing Center in Phoenix, AZ a loss of 350 jobs, and the Consumer Sales and Service Center in Mesa, AZ a loss of another 585 jobs.

Please see the enclosed information on the action by the State of Pennsylvania that stopped AT&T from closing their center in Pittsburgh, PA. The employees in the Mesa, Arizona center deserve no less.

Your prompt attention to this request is appreciated.

David Blackburn
President
Communications Workers of America
Local 7050

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April 5, 2006

The Honorable Jeff Hatch-Miller
Corporation Commissioner
1200 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Commissioner Hatch-Miller,

I sent an Email on 2/23/06 to the Utilities Division and have not received any action from the Division office as of 4/5/06. I have been in contact with John La Porta and he has been helpful but unable to get any response from the Utilities Division on my concerns. I am again requesting that the Utilities Division investigate the closing of the AT&T Arizona Small Business Customer Care Center located @ 1355 W. University Drive, Mesa Arizona. The office will close on 4/21/06 unless AT&T changes their plans.

When AT&T/SBC testified in its case for the State of Arizona to approve the AT&T/SBC merger, AT&T/SBC indicated that they had no intention to reduce jobs in Arizona. That turns out to be a false statement made to the State by AT&T/SBC. In fact AT&T announced on 2/21/06 that they would close the Small Business Customer Care Center on 4/21/06. This office closure is in direct conflict to what AT&T/SBC indicated in its case for the State approval of their merger.

The work performed at the Mesa, AZ center will be moved to Reynoldsburg, OH. 47 AT&T employees will loose their jobs or take a retirement package; only 10 employees will follow their work to Ohio. Again as in past years AT&T takes work from Arizona and moves to another State or in many cases another Country. Again due to the actions of AT&T Arizona looses good high paying jobs, income for workers, taxes to the State, and voters. Within the last two years AT&T has closed the Teleconferencing Center in Phoenix, AZ a loss of 350 jobs, and the Consumer Sales and Service Center in Mesa, AZ a loss of another 585 jobs.

Please see the enclosed information on the action by the State of Pennsylvania that stopped AT&T from closing their center in Pittsburgh, PA. The employees in the Mesa, Arizona center deserve no less.

Your prompt attention to this request is appreciated.

David Blackburn
President
Communications Workers of America
Local 7050

Note:  Letters identical to the Hatch-Miller letter were also delivered to The Honorable Kristin K. Mayes, The Honorable Marc Spitzer, The Honorable Mike Gleason, and The Honorable William Mundell.