News

AT&T Legacy T Bargaining Report #17

27 Mar, 2015

Today the Union proposed an additional pension improvement to expand service pension eligibility (eligibility for retiree benefits) to those with 15 years of service who are 60 years old.

In another proposal aimed at preparing us for 2020, we proposed that the training for that future work, be classroom based, formal training. We feel that complex training is better delivered that way. We also raised that too much of the 40 hour training commitment is spent on company compliance training (like the Code of Conduct). The language’s original intent was work related/skill based training. The Company’s proposal to have complete control of changes in the TAP program was rejected, while we proposed only giving the company the right to add programs.

We also agreed to a TA on several ATS related proposals that clarified some improvements . A “TA” is a “tentative agreement.” That means both sides agree to it, but this is subject to reaching an agreement on the whole contract and ratified by the membership. We reached a similar TA on Article 25 – Termination Pay, which will not be changed in the new Contract. (We have outstanding demands on improving the termination pay language in Article 43 and 45.)

Finally we received a presentation of a fairly comprehensive wellness program that is currently only offered to AT&T management. We of course raised the point – if it’s such a great program and it is so important to keep managers fit and healthy (including overseas managers) why in the world would they not offer it to us? They want us to pay more for health care but not have access to programs like this? You can come up with your own answer to that one.

The team will be bargaining tomorrow. Step up the fight.

Your bargaining team,

Bill Bates
Mary Ellen Mazzeo
Laura Unger
LaNell Piercy
Lois Grimes-Patow
Roy Hegenbart
Cindy Neumeyer
Martha Flagge