CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
November 22, 2008
The bargaining for the Orange Contract of AT&T Mobility is set to begin on 1-20-09 in Richmond, VA. Districts 3 & 6 have already bargained theirs & it was all an uphill battle. The Arbitrator's decision about the healthcare will be in on 12-12-08. We need to get mobilized to let the company know that we won't take NO for an answer. A lot of issues are being looked at. Some to include are wages, quota relief, transfer plan and lots of others. Please e-mail the Local with other issues that need to be addressed. cwa2222@verizon.net
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
August 14, 2008
Dear Colleagues:
Following is our response to the recent remarks by AT&T Vice President Mark Royce. A flyer with the same message is attached. Please make sure all your members see it -- it should be posted in work sites, on local websites, and distributed as widely as possible.
The message reads:
A Message to CWA Members from Your Union
Recently, we heard Mark Royce, vice president of labor relations at AT&T, talk about the recent contract that CWA negotiated with Verizon Communications.
In just a couple of minutes, we heard that AT&T is not Verizon, that AT&T faces competition from the non-union cable industry and that AT&T has worked to make its union workforce a partner in operations.
Was that news to anyone?
Let us be clear: CWA isn't interested in bargaining over the Internet. We'll be bringing our members' critical issues to the bargaining table next year and we'll focus on the need for quality, permanent jobs, opportunity in the jobs of the future, and all our other goals --health care and retirement security, all the issues that matter to working families.
CWA members are determined to gain a fair contract when negotiations get underway next year, a contract that reflects AT&T's profitability as the number one telecom company in local phone and long distance, broadband and wireless services and the value that we bring to AT&T.
We recognize the fact that AT&T doesn't deny employees their bargaining rights; we know that many companies do. But that also means that AT&T reaps the benefit of union members who are committed to providing the quality service that has made AT&T one of the most successful companies in the world.
We know that competition exists in our industry, whether from cable companies or other telecom companies. AT&T isn't alone in that.
Communications Workers of America members are looking ahead to 2009. Mobilization is gearing up in all our districts. Members are wearing red on Thursdays with renewed determination and participating in our mobilization programs. We are 170,000 CWA-strong and together we will win the contract we deserve.
In Solidarity,
Bill Bates
CWA Telecom Director
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
August 4, 2008
8/04/08- It's Time To Stand Up Against AT$T Mobility! (Our Friendly Partner)!
"Members of CWA-Mobility, we need to step to the plate and show the company we are fed up and are willing to do what ever it takes to get a fair contract for healthcare. On 7/11, At&t Mobility introduce the new 3G Iphone, CWA across the country mobilized, our mobilization efforts were successful. We were orderly in our efforts and we got our message out. The gloves have to come off; we are in a fight for of our lives. We need to have a nation wide Mobilization campaign starting now and until we get a fair healthcare contract. We need a grass root effort; we have to reach out to our brothers and sisters of the AFL-CIO, Job with Justice, and your local political leaders, and our communities. But most of all, we need our brothers and sisters of Legacy At&t, Legacy Bellsouth and Legacy SBC. If we are not successful at Arbitration, you can rest assure that the Legacy companies will be using the ruling in this Arbitration as a guide to bargain your future healthcare benefits. We need everybody's help to obtain great healthcare at a minimum cost." Download letter from Walter D Andrews, President Local 3204, in PDF format.
In Unity-Strewngth & Solidarity:
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
July 23, 2008
The CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committees for Mobility Health Care Benefits held meetings in Atlanta, with the assistance of a federal mediator, in another attempt to reach a tentative agreement.
Unfortunately, even with this assistance there was no agreement reached between the parties. The rules under mediation require that particulars of these discussions and meetings must remain off-the-record and confidential, so there are no other details we can share.
The Union is now preparing for the last step in this bargaining process, which will be to take our proposals before an arbitrator who will decide what our health care benefits plan will be beginning in 2009. The arbitration hearing is scheduled for September.
The CWA Bargaining Committee wishes to thank you for all of your support during these difficult negotiations.
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
July 8, 2008
As you may know, the first phase of our negotiations with AT&T Mobility about our health benefits ended without an agreement. The CWA Bargaining Committee is now preparing for the next phase, which involves meeting with a federal mediator beginning on Monday, July 14. To further prepare for this meeting, we would like to gather some more information from members about their experience with access to the current United Health Care and Blue Cross and Blue Shield network health plans. We also would like to know what their experience has been with HMOs.
We realize this is very short notice and we will be sending this request directly to Mobility members who are on our e-activist mailing list. However, this list will not touch as many members as we would like. Please help by forwarding this request to any of the Mobility membership within your Local.
We need your members' response ASAP.
The survey may be completed by going to:
http://www.cwa-union.org/survey/att-healthcare-2.html
Thank you for your assistance!
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
June 28-29, 2008
After being ready to meet with the company all day Saturday, we were called late in the evening and advised that the Company was not prepared to meet with us.
The Union and Company committees did meet several times on Sunday afternoon and evening. We raised multiple concerns over the Company's counter proposal that they put across the table. It is unbelievable, but their counter is actually worse than their first proposal! The Company still cannot justify their proposed cost shifting and the financial burden they want to place on our members.
We only have one more day to meet, and we are still very far apart from reaching a tentative agreement.
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
June 28, 2008
Bargaining resumed yesterday with a counter proposal from the Union aimed at maintaining our arguments that the company has the ability to provide a quality Health Benefit package for our members.
The company threw out a lot of numbers but had no data to substantiate their claims. Since the first day of bargaining, the Union committee has repeatedly requested copies of their alleged sources -- but the Company cannot provide it.
We made our point clear that we are willing to work with the company to look into ways to contain their health care costs, but not by simply shifting the cost onto our members.
Time is ticking and the Company's tunnel-vision approach is preventing us from potentially reaching an agreement. As CWA President Larry Cohen said while speaking about health care during the convention, "The Company needs to get off our backs and get beside us."
We’ll be back at the bargaining table subject to the Company's call.
Thank you for all your support.
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
June 16, 2008
The Bargaining Committee met again with the Company on Friday with demands that they provide outstanding data still owed to us. It is still apparent that we are the only ones who came to this table to look for possible solutions to what the Company says, but can't show, are problems with the current health care plan. Instead, the Company wants us to simply put forward another proposal with "shot in the dark" ingredients of retrogression! But we are not interested in giving into the astronomically impacting demand the Company proposed on June 4!
The Company's suggestion that, for a family, an employee who earns the average salary within Mobility today should have to pay out more than 17 percent of their annual income before the plan kicks in is insane, let alone unreasonable and immoral! We feel that the Company has wasted enough time avoiding the questions and they need to get serious if we have any chance at reaching a tentative agreement! They need to DO THE RIGHT THING!
The Bargaining Committee appreciates all of the support you have shown!!
Bargaining has been recessed and will reconvene on June 27.
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
June 13, 2008
The Bargaining Committee met with the Company late into the night with questions and challenges about some of the data they have thus far provided. But the Company's responses continue to be meager and evasive and have yet to substantiate a financial need to shift a significant amount of health care costs onto the backs of our hard working members! In spite of us continually asking the question, they have yet to even identify anything specific in the current plan they believe to be their problem high cost areas. All they can say is that the Union's proposal goes in the wrong direction!
We have come to these negotiations with the goal of reaching an agreement by June 30, but it appears that the Company did not. Could it be they are hiding behind the buzz on health care to simply force our members to pay more?
We say it's time, AT&T, that you put your money where your mouth is. Start working with us and give us the tools we need in order to find viable solutions to possible problems. . . . we have never been afraid of a little hard work!
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
June 11, 2008
The CWA Bargaining Committee met with the Company yesterday in another intense session of negotiations. In spite of several hours of questioning the Company on some of the data they have provided us, we are still not hearing anything that substantiates their claim that the Union's proposal puts an insurmountable financial burden on them.
The Union still has many more questions that need to be answered by the Company. Bargaining will resume again today.
The Committee appreciates your continued support.
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
June 5, 2008
On Tuesday, your committee passed a proposal that we believe is fair, equitable and affordable for our membership.
The company's response yesterday was that our proposal would be a 60 percent increase in cost to them. And, instead of backing up their claim with supporting facts and data, they chose to simply pass a proposal that will increase our premiums by up to 540 percent! In addition to that, the Company proposal includes increases in out-of-pocket expenses which could be as much as 1/3 of the annual base wage for the average employees salary!
The proposal passed by the company is an insult and shows a total lack of respect for CWA and our membership! It is clear that the new AT&T has no appreciation for the employees who made them the number one wireless company.
Needless to say, we have a long tough battle before us!!
The Bargaining Committee thanks everyone for their continued support!
CWA/AT&T MOBILITY BENEFITS
BARGAINING REPORT
June 4, 2008
Negotiations opened yesterday in Atlanta, Georgia, with our Bargaining Committee submitting a comprehensive health care proposal to the Company.
District 3 Vice President Noah Savant, speaking on behalf of CWA nationwide, told the Company in opening remarks the Union is hopeful Mobility has come to these negotiations with the intent to reach an agreement that reflects our members' contributions toward making Mobility the number one wireless company in the United States.
At the same time that negotiations began, thousands of CWA members who work at AT&T across the country mobilized to show their support through rallies, informational pickets and by delivering flyers with a message to AT&T management reminding them that when our Bargaining Committee is sitting at this table, they are not sitting alone.
The Company is currently reviewing our proposal and preparing additional relevant data that we have requested.
Bargaining updates will continue to be sent out as there are further developments.
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