AT&T Continues Its Bad Faith Bargaining With "Final" Offer

A Statement from CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.

AT&T’s negotiators presented our bargaining committee with their 145 page so-called “final” offer yesterday at 6 pm. Prior to that, they had not formally presented a complete economic package, and we had seen nothing on health care. When they presented the proposal at the bargaining table, they stated that they were willing to continue bargaining, and we provided a counter proposal at 11 pm.

The misleading message AT&T sent to CWA members this morning about their proposal and the status of bargaining amounts to direct dealing and is more evidence of the company’s continued bad faith. This type of conduct is what led to these workers going out on strike and it does nothing more than aggravate the situation.

The devil, as they say, is in the details.

Health care is a critical issue for our members. For weeks, the company refused to provide us with information that is necessary for us to be able to assess costs and develop our own proposals. Their failure to provide that information was part of the unfair labor practice charges that we filed last month that led to the current strike. They also reneged on an agreement to use regional instead of national costs when determining premiums, which is also one of our ULP charges.

What the company is not telling our members and the public is that their health care proposal raises the upfront cost for our members, especially those with family coverage. We have made it clear to the company from the start that raising our members’ cost share percentage is unacceptable, and the fact that they put this proposal forward shows that they have no interest in reaching an agreement. Their plan also shifts enormous prescription drug costs to employees.

Health care is not the only area in which AT&T is misleading our members and the public. Their claim about wage increases does not correspond to the facts of their proposal. For instance, under their proposal, wage increases for someone in the Wire Tech title would net out to just $4,766 over the life of a five-year contract after you consider the health care cost increases for a family plan. Wire Technicians are the face of AT&T, serving customers every day to install internet service at homes and businesses and make repairs in the event of outages.

I have personally spoken to AT&T CEO John Stankey multiple times since the strike began. AT&T finally provided a complete proposal after I demanded that he put it on the table. I am extremely disappointed that this proposal does not meet my, or our members’, expectations. However, after weeks of waiting and the sacrifice of our members who have been on strike, holding the line for 20 days, we finally have an economic package that our bargaining committee can respond to.

CWA members have seen and personally experienced the effects of prolonged outages and wait times for service and repairs. This strike is a hardship for our members and the communities we serve. It’s time for AT&T to engage in productive bargaining where it belongs - at the bargaining table - so we can get back to work serving our customers.

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