Pay For incentive program

TO: All Legacy T CSSC Locals

FROM: Lois J. Grimes-Patow, Administrative Director and The Sales Team

SUBJECT: The Pay for Sale Incentive Program

As you are all well aware we have been bargaining with the company over the "Pay for Sale Incentive Program".  We did a posting a about a month ago letting everyone know what had been going on and that the company had sent the 45 day letter to exit the program.  We demanded to bargain with the company.

We did meet with the company however, we won't call it bargaining.  In the world of AT&T (S) they have that proverbial mentality of it is our way or the highway.  We still have huge concerns that the "cookie cutter" program proposed by the company does not fit our centers, the work we are doing and would come no where close to providing an incentive to the majority of people within the centers.  The job of the Sales Team is to work on incentive programs that will benefit our members, all members. 

In the next few days you will, by way of a company desk drop hear all kinds of misstatements about our discussions.  AT&T is angry that we would not allow the company to cram an incentive program down our throats that would harm the majority of our members.

We have talked with the local presidents to let them know what happened.  You should be receiving a handbill from the local in your area about this matter.  We are filing a Board charge over bad faith bargaining, intimidation at the bargaining table and failure to provide information to the team. 

While we understand this will harm people's pocket books, we feel there is not a choice since the proposed program would not allow any incentive for the vast majority of our members.  The company will try to tell you that this is not the case, using data that is flawed.  We are hopeful that AT&T will agree to discuss an incentive program that truly will be a win-win for both our (all) members and the company or that the Board will agree that the process did not work and find that AT&T must negotiate in the true sense of the word.  

Please read the letter sent to the company (below) regarding this round of discussions and hopefully it will help you have a better understanding of what occurred.  It is important that you continue to let management know you are unhappy with this action by the company to eliminate the sales program and the fact that they did not have a viable alternative that could be successful for each of us.

We will keep you updated as we make progress.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Steve Leonard

Re:  Response to the Company's Incentive Proposal

Dear Mr. Leonard:

The Sales Team has been considering the Company's latest proposal for an incentive program for our members.  We feel that the Company has refused to bargain in good faith and are, therefore, declining to accept the proposal most recently made for AT&T Consumer Legacy T Non-Management Incentive Plan.

There are several factors contributing to this decision. 

·  The Sales Team came into being some 12 years ago when the Company refused to allow our members to transfer to the more lucrative CSSS job title.  At that time, we were asked to develop a compensation plan that would allow the L-level titles to narrow the difference in wage rates.  There is also a major discrepancy in wage rates between "Legacy S" and "Legacy T" representatives doing essentially the same work.

·  Our concerns on target setting, call equalization, and earning ability from our original letter remain obstacles which have not been addressed.

·  The Committee has made numerous data requests that have gone unfulfilled.  The Company cannot reasonably expect the Committee to accept any proposal without sufficient documentation to prove that the program will work for our people.  Without knowing the targets, and how they might be adjusted, and how those adjustments might affect our members, we could not, in good conscience, accept this program.

·  The qualifiers set forth in the Company's proposal would disqualify a large number of our members.  We want a plan that will truly incent our members, not just a small portion of the work force.

·  We are extremely disappointed that the Company did not seem to want to bargain at all.  The Committee was given a plan that the Company had developed and was told there was "very little wiggle room."  In other words, take it or leave it.  That was followed with threats that the Company would go to our members.  Intimidation tactics simply do not work.

The Union Sales Team stands ready to consider any program proposal that will truly benefit our members.  We would prefer one that would enable our members to effectively track where they are during the month in relation to the incentive plan.

Because of language contained in our Collective Bargaining Agreement dated December 11, 2005, this plan cannot be implemented.  The Company has no right to supersede the Union Contract.

Sincerely,

Legacy-T Sales Team