News

AT&T Legacy T Bargaining Report #28

12 Apr, 2015

The first post-expiration meeting did not go very well. Though the Company’s “package” was a bit better than their first proposals, they were still nowhere near where they need to be to get a Contract. They are still proposing freezing pension and giving no pensions to new hires, only a 401K. This proposal, for everyone hired after 2003, freezes their CBA account and moves them into the BCB2 plan, which has a much lower payout.

Their wage proposal was insulting and does not come near to covering any increases in the cost of living or in health care costs. They rejected our proposals to raise the pay or pensions of our lowest paid titles.

Their personal illness proposal took away the decreases for those under 25 years but capped the over 25 at 10 days and are still proposing NO PAID ILLNESS for new hires.

Though they moved on their JOG proposal it still would not cover those hired after April 2012.

On employment security, they moved our watermark from 3700 to 2900, which will not protect us from losing more work to the regional companies, contractors, managers and layoffs as AT&T moves to an all IP network. They also rejected maintaining the watermark for Article 43 and rejected any new certification programs.

The Union rejected their proposals and countered on all of it:

- We need fair pension increases and a pension for new hires;

- We need a wage proposal that improves the standard of living of our members;

- We want paid personal illness for everyone;

- We want JOG to cover employees hired under the 2012 agreement;

- We need a high enough watermark to force the company to keep jobs in our unit or bring in new work and we want the training to do that work.

There will be a call with the Local Officers Monday afternoon to give them an update.

Keep up the fight. The new deadline is Tuesday at Noon EDT.

Your Bargaining Team,

Bill Bates

Laura Unger

Lois Grimes-Patow