Ralph Maly's Speech at AT&T Stockholders Meeting

AT&T Annual Meeting of Stockholders
Friday, April 24, 2009, 9:00 a.m.
Dallas Arboretum
Rosine Hall
8525 Garland Road
Dallas, TX  75218

(Hold copy of "We Are the Network")

Good morning, Mr. Chairman.  My name is Ralph Maly, Vice President of the C&T office of CWA representing Legacy T.  I have been speaking at AT&T Shareholder Meetings since 1996.  Mr. Chairman, I have in my hand a copy of "We Are the Network", a report to shareholders prepared by CWA.

In this report, we make three key arguments:

1.  The strength of AT&T is in the power of its integrated network – video, broadband, wireless and wireline.  Union members drive that network, which is represented by the sea of red you see here today.

2.  AT&T is a leading actor in corporate America.  It is #7 in market capitalization and is #8 in terms of annual revenues.  AT&T should be leading America out of this deep recession we are in, not imposing extra burdens on its workforce – the same workforce that is key to its integrated network.

3.  AT&T should embrace chance:  Instead of imposing costs on its employees, the Company should be working for a national health care solution.  National health care would reduce expenses by $600 million, which would, in turn, boost share price.

Mr. Chairman, would you not agree to the core arguments of our report that

1.  The power of the Company is the network;

2.  The Company has a responsibility to lead; and

3.  National health care is not just the right policy by addressing the uninsured and the under-insured, but it would also benefit the bottom line of our Company?

Thank you for the opportunity to speak here today, and I await your response.

RM:drk
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