CWA District 4 Bargaining

CWA/AT&T Midwest Bargaining Report #63

May 23, 2018

Fighting Today…Focused on the Future!

To further explain the company’s propaganda pieces that went out yesterday and today the bargaining committee wants to clarify a number of issues.

So, let’s talk about the AT&T’s so called final offer and their desire to be transparent. The company wants you to know what is in their latest offer but we need you to know the particulars that they left out.

The company wants to end your uncertainty by presenting you with an offer that falls far short of the goals that you set for this bargaining committee over three months ago. While there are some positive aspects to this final offer, we want to outline what was presented in more detail

First, we are disgusted by the company’s attempt to bargain directly with you. We remain committed to bargaining a fair contract that moves the membership forward and provides for a secure future.

The wage increases are above industry standard but fall short of our demands to shift dollars to lower wage zones and lower paid titles in the appendix. The company’s guaranteed job offer is retrogressive from our existing contract language. Further, it does not apply to employees in the appendix. Their commitment to 1000 jobs includes no details except for the jobs could be in any contract, including the CWA Midwest agreement, Mobility or the National Internet Contract.

Their proposal on premises technicians for an additional 20 cents per hour is apparently tied to a change in the current scope of work that would add fusion splicing to premises technician job duties. The other enhancements that are cited are well below the bargaining committee’s demands.

Moving to health care, it is quite simple, the proposal diminishes our current benefits plan, while shifting costs to the employees and their families by exorbitantly increasing monthly premiums, deductibles, and maximum out of pocket expenses, along with heavy handed changes to the prescription plan. The move to the ARSP (new 401k plan) could be a very positive portion of this proposal, but the bargaining committee’s questions about this move remain unanswered.

The paid parental leave has become an industry standard and we are pleased that this demand was included in this offer.

The success sharing plan is a negotiated benefit that does help CWA members, but we continue to focus on economic gains that are not tied to the stock performance of AT&T.

The highlighted addition of the National Transfer Plan is somewhat comical since this plan already exists in your current contract.

The tuition aid change to include nanodegrees is positive, but there are no guarantees that this would help continue your employment with AT&T.

The core personal illness provisions and attendance guidelines are certainly a positive provision of the company’s offer and we have been constantly fighting to preserve them.

If you have used the company’s calculator, you could liken it to playing a slot machine in Las Vegas, as in some cases it appears to be inaccurate.

The arbitration and no strike clauses of our collective bargaining agreement are no longer in effect while working without a contract, but nearly all other provisions remain intact.

Make no mistake; your committee will continue to bargain until we reach a fair contract that provides job security, economic growth, and a future for employment at AT&T Midwest.

Mobilize!                                         #nojobsnodeal

In Solidarity,

Your CWA District 4 Bargaining Team

Curt Hess

Tina Culver

Dan Frazier

Kim Gallardo

Tim Strong

Greg Tennyson

Jay Walther

Ron Gay

Mike Handley

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