10:04 - The national is planning to host another E-unity meeting this evening at 8pm. The meeting will be conducted by National CWA President Larry Cohen, National Execuitve Vice President Annie Hill and National Secretary Treasurer Jeff Rechenbach. As with the first meeting, you need to pre-register to have access. Sign up for registration here. Once registered, you will recieve more information about the meeting.

05/26/09

10:16 am - The bargaining report for Friday documents the company explaining its proposed retirement packages and answering some questions about the medical proposal.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #68

May 26, 2009

This bargaining report is for Friday, May 22, 2009. There was a formal meeting scheduled today, to continue bargaining. The Company provided the Union with the side by side comparison on the BCB2 Cash Balance Pension Plan, Savings and Security Plan, and the AT&T Retirement Savings Plan for new hires. The Company had a few responses on the Union's questions on Medical Care Reimbursement Accounts and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts. The Union reviewed the status of all the Company's proposals. CWA indicated agreement on a few proposals dealing with declaration of Service Emergency, Retired Local Presidents expenses, and Military Leave of Absence language. The Union reviewed the status of other proposals being reviewed and considered.

The Union presented revised proposals on Temporary Employees, Travel, and Force Adjustment. The committee continues to consider how to move forward on health care and Premise Tech issues.

----------- TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

UNITED WE BARGAIN--------------------
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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9:42 am - Members of Congress are standing with CWAers for fair contracts at AT&T and are sending letters to AT&T chief executive officer Randall Stephenson urging him to negotiate contracts that preserve quality jobs and quality benefits.

CWA locals and districts are continuing to ask asking their senators and representatives to contact Stephenson, and across the country, elected officials have been doing exactly that.

CWA Local 6132 has gotten letters of support from US Congressman Lloyd Dogget, Texas Representatives Eddie Rodriguez, Elliott Naishtat, Valinda Bolton, Donna Howard, and Diana Maldonado.

The Legislative committee continues to contact State and National Congressional representatives about sending letters supporting CWA to Randall Stephenson. For the letters we have recieved, the company has been scrambling trying to get back on the representative's good side.

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9:34 am - An article in the Sacramento Bee talks about the importance of employees, rather than CEOs, to AT&T's customers.

My View: AT&T has a phony line, but a great lineman

By Anne Tuttle Villegas
Published: Saturday, May. 23, 2009 - 12:00 am | Page 19A

So I get an e-mail from AT last week.

"Hello Anna," it begins, in that creepy first-name usage by complete strangers who ought to know better than to alienate the consumer base by projecting intimacy. With a chiding, passive-aggressive tone, it continues: "We haven't heard from you in a while." Then, cutting to the hyperlink, AT explains to me that "We certainly want to stay in touch because" the company needs to pitch a list of "new services and products" about which I couldn't care less. (more...)

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05/22/09

9:47 am - The bargaining report for yesterday shows the union continuing to ask questions about the benefit proposals of the company and talking about retiree benefits.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #67

May 22, 2009

This bargaining report is for Thursday, May 21, 2009. There was a formal bargaining session held this afternoon. The Union continued asking their clarifying questions pertaining to the Company proposed Success Sharing Plan, Strategic Alliance Agreement, Card Check, AT&T Retirement Savings Plan for New Hires, the BCB2 Cash Balance Pension Plan, Pension increases for current employees, and the Joint Health Care Cost Containment Committee. The Company also provided the Union with some of the information previously requested the day before.

The Union stressed that the Future Retiree Medical, which the Company has proposed would require premiums for Medical coverage for anyone who retired during the life of the new contract was a HUGE ISSUE.

The parties are scheduled to meet again on Friday.

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05/21/09

2:12 - The bargaining report for yesterday shows no formal meetings between the union and the company. CWA continues to go over the company's "Last Best Final" offer to make sure we fully understand what the company is asking for.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #66

May 21, 2009

This bargaining report is for Wednesday, May 20, 2009. There were no formal meetings today. The Union spent the day reviewing the Health Care Package and considering cost share information. CWA wants to be 100% clear on ALL of the Company's package in order to bargain over the Company's Proposal. The Union will continue to work diligently to bargain with the Company over their last, best, and final offer.

Meanwhile, it is extremely important that EVERYONE participate in our ongoing MOBILIZATION ACTIVITIES! Please make sure that everyone has signed the, "Tell STANKEY it STINKS!" petition. Anyone who hasn't seen the Petition can check out the WEB SITE below and print a copy.

http://files.cwa-union.org/district6/090514_petition.doc

Check with your Local Mobilization Coordinator for the LATEST and GREATEST Updates.

ENGAGED-----INVOLVED-----MOTIVATED-----EDUCATED-----STANDING TOGETHER!!!!!

UNITED WE BARGAIN............................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

05/20/09

9:59 pm - The bargaining report for Tuesday documents the union committee questioning the company on the leveraged title proposal.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #65

May 20, 2009

This bargaining report is for Tuesday, May 19, 2009. The Full Committee met this afternoon to continue discussions on the Company's Last, Best, and Final Offer. The Company provided a few answers to some of our previous questions from the day before. AT&T provided some information to help us identify which benefits applied to which type of employee (New Hires, Converted Temporary Employees, Current Employees, and Appendix J Employees). The Company was still compiling information on their proposed Success Sharing Plan. The parties also discussed Leverage Titles for Appendix B specifically in consumer, which would create a title paid at 60% of Service Representative pay, with 40% of pay at risk, based on meeting certain sales targets. Force Adjustment changes were discussed, and how a new post and bid system would impact current surplus options in the future. Your bargaining committee will continue to ask questions and be sure we fully understand the offer. We still need to have a thorough discussion with the Company on the overall benefit proposal, which continues to have a two- tier structure.

We are scheduled to reconvene tomorrow.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Also, Don’t Forget to Sign the “TELL STANKEY IT STINKS Petition! Tell Stankey it STINKS! Print the petition at the following link:

http://files.cwa-union.org/district6/090514_petition.doc

UNITED WE BARGAIN...........................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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05/19/09

11:59 am - The bargaining report from yesterday shows that in its "Last Best Final" proposal, the company quietly made incentives dependent upon discipline and warns members of a letter from John Stankey coming to your house.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #64

May 19, 2009

This bargaining report is for Monday, May 18, 2009. The CWA Bargaining Committee continued to review the Company’s package and formulate questions for clarification. The Union and Company met in Full Committee. CWA continued with questions on the Company’s Incentive Proposal, On Call, Travel, National Transfer Plan, Employment Security and Appendix J. The Company did confirm that their new Incentive Plans could be tied to discipline, meaning that if an employee is on a Step of Discipline, even for attendance, could disqualify them from participating in ANY Incentive Plans. Furthermore, if the employee is on a Step of Discipline that would not exclude them from having to meet their SALES OBJECTIVE, it just means they will not be receiving ANY INCENTIVES, should they exceed expectation.

The Union requested an update on previous information that had been requested. We plan to continue meeting tomorrow.

The Union still believes that the Company’s last, best, and final offer does not adequately address the needs of our members, and destroys the framework of working conditions, benefits, and wages that have taken years to build.

We have now learned that many members are receiving letters mailed to their home from John Stankey with AT&T. Members are asked to return the letter to their Local Union if one is received, so that they can be returned to Mr. Stankey. Mr. Stankey and AT&T need to understand that the Company needs to bargain with your elected bargaining committee not with each member as we believe AT&T is attempting to do.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!

Also, Don’t Forget to Sign the “TELL STANKEY IT STINKS Petition! Tell Stankey it STINKS! Print the petition at the following link:

http://files.cwa-union.org/district6/090514_petition.doc

UNITED WE BARGAIN............................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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05/18/09

9:17 am - the bargaining report from Friday tells of the union bargaining committee going over the company proposal with a fine tooth comb.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #63

May 15, 2009

This bargaining report is for Friday, May 14, 2009. The CWA Bargaining Committee continued to review the Company's Last, Best and Final proposal. Based on the fact that there are some proposals, and modifications to proposals that we have not seen before. We are reviewing the package thoroughly and will be asking the Company questions for clarification purposes. Also, there are numerous proposals that the committee has rejected in the past that will now have to be thoroughly researched. Due to this, today was a work day for the Committee.

Plans are to start meeting with AT&T again on Monday. We will keep you posted!

Click on the link below to view the video:

Heavens Gates (Shutting Detroit Down)

Tell Stankey it STINKS! Sign the petition at the link below:

http://files.cwa-union.org/district6/090514_petition.doc

UNITED WE BARGAIN................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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05/15/09

9:48 am - With the company's "Last, Best and Final" offer, the bargaining in District 6 has come to the forefront. No other district was given a "Last, Best and Final" offer by the company up to this point. The bargaining report for yesterday documents the CWA bargaining team questioning the company on many aspects of its inadequate proposal as well as a short note of support from a member in another district.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #62

May 15, 2009

This report is for Thursday, May 14, 2009. The CWA & AT&T Bargaining Committee met this afternoon to discuss numerous questions pertaining to the Company's, Last Best and Final Offer. The Union asked questions pertaining to the Success Sharing Plan, Travel, On Call Duty, Wages and other proposals.

We are planning to reconvene tomorrow to continue our discussion. We will keep you posted.

CWA: INVOLVED - ENGAGED- SOLID- MOBILIZED AND STANDING TOGETHER IN OUR FIGHT FOR A FAIR AND JUST CONTRACT!

AN INJURY TO ONE.....IS AN INJURY TO ALL!

STAND STRONG DISTRICT 6!!!

All eyes are on you. You are the front line in this fight to keep what we and our forefathers have fought for over the years.

We can't give in to this ridiculous healthcare take back and retirement slashing offer. The rest of the brotherhood in locals all around the country are standing behind you and ready to do whatever it takes to get a fair and just contract!

In Solidarity,
Cable Maintenance Splicer

P.S. Remember the Company has been profitable all along paying for healthcare what they have been paying now!

UNITED WE BARGAIN...............................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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05/14/09

1:10 pm - Reminder: because of the attendance at the last few membership meetings, tonights membership meeting will be held at the Texas AFL-CIO again. A map to the loction is linked below.

View Larger Map

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1:05 - After dropping out of the news shortly after the contract expiration, the contract negotiations have been propelled to the forefront as a result of AT&T's "Last, Best and Final Offer." Many news sources were awash with the announcement of AT&T's proposal and today the sources are talking about CWA's criticisms of the proposal.

Union blasts AT&T's 'final' contract offer

DALLAS

AT&T Inc. says it made its best and final contract offer to wireline workers in its southwestern region, but the union calls the proposal a "major" step backward.

The phone company said Wednesday that it offered raises of 2 percent now and 2.25 percent each in 2010 and 2011, plus a $500 bonus if workers ratify the contract by June 5.(more...)

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10:06 am - The bargaining report for Wednesday documents the union reviewing many of the new proposals in the comany's "Last, Best and Final Offer." The committee is forming a list of questions based on issues in the company's proposal.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #61

May 13, 2009

This bargaining report is for Wednesday, May 13, 2009. The CWA Bargaining Committee is reviewing the Company’s Last, Best, and Final Offer. Since there are several changes and new proposals included in this package that the Union had not seen, we plan to review each proposal thoroughly.

We are building a list of questions to present to the Company to make sure we have a clear understanding of the Company’s inadequate proposal.

UNITED WE BARGAIN……………….
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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05/13/09

3:01 pm - Along with quickly releasing it to the workforce without telling the bargaining committee, AT&T evidently thought it could raise the stakes by putting out a news release talking about the "Final, Last, Best" offer. A couple of news sources picked up the story:

AT&T proposes labor deal for 27,000 workers

NEW YORK, May 13 (Reuters) - AT&T Inc (T.N) said on Wednesday it had given its "best and final" offer for a labor agreement covering about 9 percent of its employees whose contract has expired.

AT&T said the offer to the 27,000 Communications Workers of America members includes pension and wage increases, and keeps 401(k) contribution as well as "above-market health care." (more...)

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AT&T offers "last, best and final offer" to union employees in Texas and four other states

Dallas-based AT&T issued a news release today saying that it has made its "last, best and final offer" to union workers in the company's wireline division in the Southwest Region, which includes Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas. (more...)

It is pretty clear from the timing and the way the AT&T Highlight Document was released, that the company was trying to cause some disension in the CWA ranks by polishing up a piece of fool's gold and trying to pass it off as the real thing. Luckily, CWA members know not to buy into the company spin and waited until the district was able to respond to the "Last, Best and Final" company offer. More updates on this as they become available.

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10:13 am - Well, after several weeks of nothing happening at the bargaining table, quite a bit has happened over the last day and a half. Both the company and the union have been firing comprehensive proposals back and forth and there is a lot of information and some misinformation going around. This post will try to sort through it all and give the real story of what is going on at the bargaining table. First we have yesterday's CWA bargaining report, which talks about a scheduled meeting with Randall Stephenson and the District 6 bargaining team and the cancellation of that meeting as a result of CWA's comprehensive proposal:

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #59

May 13, 2009

This bargaining report is for Tuesday, May 12, 2009. On Thursday, May 14, 2009 Randall Stephenson, CEO AT&T was scheduled to meet with your District 6 Bargaining Committee. The CWA Bargaining Committee was looking forward to meeting with him to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss a few of the CRITICAL issues and share our members’ perspectives. We thought that through our dialogue we could help him understand CWA’s position. We weren’t necessarily expecting him to agree; however we were hopeful that through our dialogue we could move this process along.

Unfortunately, after yesterday’s full committee meeting we were advised of the following:

At Approximately 6 p.m. Monday evening Andy Milburn received a short call from Randall Stephenson concerning our proposal. Randall seemed to be upset and irate claiming our proposal moved from the current 7% employee cost to 1%. Stephenson also claimed WE weren't serious about bargaining!

Stephenson then cancelled the meeting with your Bargaining Committee and stated, “He would find some place else to bargain!” In closing he advised Vice President Milburn that we would get a response to our proposal tomorrow and hung up on Vice President Milburn. As the Company bargaining team at this time had already indicated they had questions about the proposal, it was certainly unclear to us how the Company could have calculated the proposal correctly, as it was determined later today that there was a misunderstanding about it.

AT&T apparently doesn’t understand the BARGAINING PROCESS! When a proposal is passed that you don’t agree with, you don’t REACT---YOU COUNTER!

By Mr. Stephenson canceling the meeting with your CWA Bargaining Committee because he didn’t like our proposal, Is PROOF POSITIVE that they JUST DON’T GET IT!!!! To add injury to insult, to attempt to meet with another DISTRICT is an OLD DIVIDE AND CONQUER TACTIC that attempts to PIT DISTRICT against DISTRICT! Let us tell you Randall, “THAT’S NOT GOING TO WORK!!!”

UNITED WE BARGAIN.............................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, while the CEO of AT&T was supposed to meet with the bargaining committee, the CWA proposal on health care caused a little tantrum and he cancelled the meeting rather than offering a counter proposal, as the normal procedures on bargaining dictate. Stephenson also accused the CWA committee of not being serious about bargaining because they were evidently trying to bargain something that he didn't like. After cancelling the meeting, the CEO then threatened to go bargain with another district (this is a little confusing since AT&T is supposed to be bargaining with all districts that are currently negotiating, not which ever one it feels like at the time) and said that District 6 would get the company's answer to the CWA D6 proposal tomorrow.

Presumably, the answer that Mr. Stephenson was talking about is the Last, Best and Final Offer to CWA that was posted on the company website. On a side note, it would appear that this "Last, Best and Final Offer" supercedes the "Last, Best and Final Offer" the company promised back on April 3rd... In any case, the update was emailed to all employees and contained all sorts of flowerly language that promised increases for all wireline employees. The company even provided a "calculator" to show employees, the estimated savings that the company's "Last, Best and Final Offer" would shower upon them. A PDF file covering the highlights of the company's "Last, Best and Final Offer to CWA" is linked below.

The company report says that all employees in District 6 "will see a postive financial impact under the offer." The company goes on to talk about how "fair and reasonable" the offer is and that it "recognizes the contributions of employees by preserving good union jobs with good wages and benefits that are among the best in the nation." The document then goes on to discuss select provisions of the company's proposal and how much they benefit employees.

In response to this sudden "fair and resonable" offer from the company--one that was borne of a tiff between Randall Stephenson and the CWA district 6 committee's comprehensive proposal--the District has put out an update that goes through the company's "fair and resonable" proposal and strips away the gloss to reveal the actual takebacks and retrogressive proposals hiding under all the spit and polish.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #60 - CWA DISTRICT 6 RESPONSE TO AT&T SOUTHWEST'S LAST, BEST, AND FINAL OFFER

May 13, 2009

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #60

This bargaining report is for Tuesday, May 12, 2009. Today at 4:00 p.m. AT&T presented CWA with their Last, Best and Final Offer. Their package was well over one hundred (100) pages, which contained many items that the Union had not seen during the many weeks of Bargaining. This occurred one day after CWA had presented the Company with their Comprehensive Proposal, which the Company still has not responded to. In short, AT&T’s package contains MAJOR RETROGRESSION and is FULL OF TAKE BACKS.

Out of the five (5) Districts currently in negotiations, we are the ONLY Bargaining Committee to receive a LAST, BEST, AND FINAL OFFER. The Company was prepared with an eight (8) page, “AT&T News Now Article,” complete with a Calculator, a video from John Stankey, President CEO AT&T Operations addressing employees with the Company’s detailed version of their package. All this was planned at a time where the Company knew that all the CWA Local Presidents would be out of town attending a joint CWA/AT&T Common Interest Forum (CIF) Meeting, therefore would be unable to communicate with their members promptly. Keep in Mind, this was just the SECOND DAY after face to face bargaining with the Company had resumed.

LISTED BELOW ARE SOME OF THE COMPANY’S PROPOSALS CONTAINED IN THEIR PACKAGE:

Wages

The Company’s Wage Proposal is as follows:

• 1st year - 2% and a $500.00 Lump Sum
• 2nd year - 2.25%
• 3rd year - 2.25%

This falls well below CWA’s proposal of:

• 1st year - 4.50%
• 2nd year - 4.25%
• 3rd year - 4.0%

Health Care

The Health Care Proposal the Company offered was well below what CWA had proposed. The Union’s Health Care Proposal DID NOT contain any employee premiums, which is money that would go right back to AT&T’s pockets, since AT&T is self insured. The Company has proposed different plans for current employee’s verses new hires and Appendix J employees. The Company’s proposed rates for current employees range from $5.00 to $45.00 per month, and up to 15% of the FULL PREMIUMS for New Hires. The Company’s projection for 2010 is that New Hires will pay up to $321.00 per month.

The Health Reimbursement Account (HRA’s) the Company is so PROUD of, will ONLY pertain to year one and two of the Contract and provides reimbursements in the range of $200.00 to $1,050.00 for CURRENT EMPLOYEES ONLY. New Hires ARE NOT ELIGIBLE for HRA’s.

Deductibles for New Hires run from $1,150.00 to $2,300.00 In-Network and $3,450 to $6,900.00 for Non-Network. Current employees deductible will range from $500.00 to 1,500.00 In-Network.

Premise Technicians

The Company’s proposal requires the Premise Technician to perform Group 1 Craft work for less than half the pay of other Technicians. The Company is also requiring the Premise Technicians to start climbing poles. This in turn will reduce the workload for Customer Service Technicians (CST's), which would create potential surpluses of CST’s, System Technicians, and Data Service Technicians. This meager proposal does not guarantee a forty (40) hour work week, does not contain a decent Retirement Plan nor does it contain a Retiree Health Care Package, which are proposals that CWA presented to the Company for consideration. The Union’s position is that the Premise Technicians benefits SHOULD NOT be different from ANY other employees in the Company.

CWA also presented proposals to the Company that included improved Work Rules for Premise Technicians, many of which would not entail additional cost to the Company. CWA has repeatedly asked AT&T to STOP treating the Premise Techs like SECOND CLASS CITIZENS!

The Company rejected the following Premise Technician Proposals:

• Improvements in Vacation Selection
• Improvements in Overtime Rules
• Improvements in Time and Title (30 months is longer than any other Job Title in our current Agreement.
• Improvements in Scheduling of Days Off
• Improvements in Sick Pay

Leveraged Title and MOA’ s

The Company created titles in Appendix B for Consumer, Business, Credit, and Collections Organizations. Temporaries could be assigned and would retain Temporary Classification. Current employees could choose to go to Leveraged Job Titles with associated Compensation Plans. The Employee could retreat one time within six months.

The Union DID NOT REQUEST NOR DOES IT SUPPORT the “New Sales Title.”

The Company will eliminate the Service Representative Title for both Consumer and Business, and Revenue Management Representative. The employees under this New Sales Title will get paid sixty (60) percent of the Service Representative base pay yet the Company fails to explain how to get paid for the other forty (40) percent of their wages.

The Company’s Report also excludes the fact that AT&T refused to extend the Service Representative Task Force Agreement. This would eliminate Appointment Book Time, Emergency Time, Close Key Time, and Protection from Discipline (up to and including Dismissal) for employees who do not meet Sales Objectives, etc.

The Company also refused to extend the Monitoring, Operator, and Revenue Management Representative Agreements.

Employment Security Commitment

The Company’s proposal on the Employment Security Commitment (JOG) will be continued, but with some MAJOR changes. The JOG offer can be anywhere in the 5 state area in our current contract (Internet or Legacy T). If a surplus candidate fails to qualify after taking two tests for jobs, their JOG Rights are cancelled. CWA’s proposal extended the original ESC with the offer in YOUR scope and included jobs in the CURRENT CONTRACT only and allowed unlimited times to test qualify for a job. The Company can also cancel the ESC at anytime due to any fluctuation in economic or business conditions as determined by the Company. The Company has cancelled the agreement before, prior to 2004 bargaining when it was reinstated after a 4-day strike.

The Company’s proposal on temporary reclassification agrees to reclassify most of the temporary employees to regular employees. The Company failed to mention that these employees will acquire “New Hire Benefits.” The Committee proposal also made these jobs available to regular employees who have been waiting up to 4 years to transfer to jobs thru the Job Vacancy Article. CWA’s intent was to protect our senior member’s right to these positions through the Job Vacancy. At the same time, we proposed to convert these Temporary Employees to Regular Full Time, either in place if there is no job vacancy on file, or backfill behind a Regular Full Time that had moved based on this process.

Success Sharing Plan

The Company has introduced a Success Sharing Plan, which will replace our current Team Performance Award (TPA). This proposal was NEVER discussed with the CWA Bargaining Committee; however it was included in the Company's Last, Best, and Final Proposal. Our current TPA guarantees a minimum of $500.00. The Company’ s NEW Success Sharing Plan has NO guaranteed income for your HARD WORK AND CONTRIBUTIONS.

Lump Sum

The Company’s proposal for the Lump Sum Pension Payout upon Retirement will use a guideline set forth in the Pension Protection Act of 2006. This is only one of the Guidelines the Company has chosen to DECREASE your Pensions by a SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. The Pension Protection Act allows for the use of the GATT Rate, which is what CWA has been attempting to negotiate. CWA strongly believes you’re entitled to the BEST PENSION CALCULATION.

Health Care

The Union proposed co-pays, instead of Co-insurance, which is 10% Network and 40% Non-Network. The Co-pays would have been $5.00 increases for Office Visits, Emergency Room, Urgent Care. and Hospital Stays. The Company’s offer for Annual Out-of-Pocket Maximums for current employees run from $2,500 to $5,300. The New Hires have three (3) options from $4,350 to $34,800. This Committee can not imagine almost $35,000 a year for any employee to pay. The Company proposed prescription drugs at retail from $10 to $60 and mail-order from $20 to $120.

We must remind you that the Company information listed mostly 1st year items, forgetting to tell you about escalators in the 2nd and 3rd years that even the Committee can not find out exact figures for you. The Committee attempted to keep the same benefit plan with everyone knowing exactly what the cost would be for all three years. There are many differences between what the Company has proposed and what the Committee has attempted to do.

Considering that AT&T made $12.9 Billion in profit in 2008, the Company proposal on Pension improvements is a minor 1% increase per year for all 3 years, while the Committee request was the same as wages at 4.5%, 4.25%, and 4%. This continues to reduce the percentage of pension in relation to your overall salary, putting more pressure on your 401K, and future Social Security income to maintain your standard of living in your retirement years. The Company offer would calculate lump sums beginning on January 1, 2010 in a different method as previously discussed; further reducing the lump sum amount, while the Committee offer would continue the same method of calculations. New Hires and Appendix J employees will not have the same pension. The Company proposal will offer a Cash Balance Plan.

401K Savings Plan

The 401k Savings Plan will remain at the same matching rate of 80%, while CWA’s proposal would have raised to 100% match for current employees.

The Company’s proposal for benefits is different for current employees who will retire during the Life of this Agreement. This will involve keeping up with five (5) different types of benefits and/or employee/retirees. What Company in their right mind could come up with a system like this?

On a BITTER NOTE: The Company’s proposal makes no reference to our many, retirees and their dependents! These are the employees who built this Company, and yet the Company refused to Bargain for Retirees, attempting to justify their actions by stating the RETIREES benefits run through the end of the year, at which time the Company would make a decision. WHO in their right mind would want their benefits left up to the descretion of the COMPANY? Just look at what AT&T has already done to their own managers and supervisors.

NO RETIREE BENEFITS---NO CONTRACT!!!!!

CWA’s proposal would allow all employees, active, retired, future retired, new hires, and Appendix J, to be covered by the SAME BENEFIT PACKAGE!!!!

Retirement

CWA’s proposed Pension Bands to go up 4.50% the first year, 4.25% the second year, and 4.0% the third year. The 1% EACH YEAR the Company has proposed is an INSULT. The Company states few companies are offering such enhancements. The truth is, few companies made $12.9 Billion in PROFITS in 2008, and are on target to make greater profits in 2009; however, AT&T IS!!!!

Letters of Changes in Custom and Practices:

The Company also refused to withdraw Letters of Changes in Custom and Practice, which include substituting paid contractual time for unpaid Family Leave of Absence (FMLA). Eliminate payment for Partial Session Absence and Assignment of Overtime on a voluntary basis.

LISTED BELOW ARE MANY ITEMS THAT EXIST IN THE CURRENT CONTRACT, BUT WERE NOT RENEWED BY THE COMPANY IN THEIR LAST, BEST, AND FINAL OFFER.

• 1. Memorandum of Agreement on Monitoring
• 2. Service Representative Task Force and Review Committee
• 3. MOA Vacation Portability
• 4. No Successorship Language in any Exchange Sale
• 5. No GATT Rate for future Lump Sum Pensions
• 6. Revenue Management Representative Working Group Recommendations
• 7. Operator Services Task Force Recommendations
• 8. Communication Consultants Joint Leadership Forum Recommendations
• 9. Hometown Job Security Commitment
• 10. Employment Opportunity/Enhanced Retirement Benefit
• 11. Night Differential Language Change-Night Differential will begin at 7:00pm instead of 6:00pm, as it currently is.
• 12. Joint Health Care Cost Containment Committee
• 13. Memorandum of Agreement on Evolving Technologies
• 14. Cost of Living Adjustment
• 15. Expedited Arbitration
• 16. No Team Performance Award
• 17. Console Operator Protection under Supplemental Statements
• 18. No Joint Health Care Cost Containment Committee
• 19. No vacation buy out if employee retires
• 20. No prohibition on DML’s and dismissals for Service Representatives solely for adherence performance.
• 21. One less Union Benefit Rep if needed.
• 22. No continued promotion of CWA Nett.

While AT&T says, “Virtually all Southwest Wireline Employees covered by the Core Contract will see a positive financial impact under this offer” with all the retrogression, take backs, and cost shifting that are in this package; we believe it is the Company and the top Executives at AT&T that will be coming out the best. There is nothing new in their package that truly rewards any of you for the hard work and dedication that you have shown AT&T, and the recognition that it is your toil, that makes AT&T 12.9 billion in profits. This contract offer by the Company does not even come up to the status quo, and they are attempting to run rough-shod over your elected bargaining committee and circumvent the bargaining process. This contract offer is substandard for a company that just made $12.9 billion in profits last year, and is already on track this year to do just as well, even in a down economy. Already this year the Company has spent $3.4 billion in buying up other Companies from the time we kicked off bargaining in February. AT&T Executives have plenty of money to buy up anything they think they want or need, but yet don’t seem to have enough to provide you with a decent contract, or at least one that your elected committee could agree with. AT&T really shows their employees how much they are WORTH AND HOW WELL THEY ARE ALL APPRECIATED.

DON’T FALL FOR AT&TS SLICK AND FANCY SPIN AND PROPAGANDA. OVERALL THEIR PACKAGE IS INADEQUATE.

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05/12/09

9:17 pm - The bargaing report from today documents the union committee giving the company a comprehensive proposal that covers wages, pension, Team performance, a single health care plan (as opposed to the tiered plans by the company), inclusion of Appendix J employees into all aspects of the contract and many other issues.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #58

May 12, 2009

This bargaining report is for Monday, May 11, 2009. The Full Committees met this afternoon to continue bargaining. The Union presented a Comprehensive Bargaining Proposal to the Company, which consisted of the following: Improvements in Wages, Team Performance Award, Savings and Security Plan, A Single Medical Plan for all employees and retirees, Prescription Drug Program, Dental, Vision, Retiree Vision, Adoption Assistance, Care Plus, Commuter Benefit Program, Flexible Spending Accounts, Elimination of Discounts on Pension Benefits for Surviving Spouse, Eligible Dependent and or Registered Domestic Partners, Pension Plan Improvements for Current and Retired Employees, Continuation of the Lump Sum Pension Option at the GATT rate, and Improvements in the AT&T Group Life Insurance program for life insurance for dependents after retirement at the same rate as active employees. The proposal would treat Appendix J employees the same as other AT&T employees for all active employee benefit purposes and post employment benefit purposes.

The Union also pointed out to the Company that there are still many other Union Proposals, which remain on the table that are unresolved and that we were interested in getting movement on those proposals as well.

The Committees will reconvene tomorrow for further discussions on the Unions Comprehensive proposal.

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!

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1:46 pm - With AT&T being such a regulated company and so much of its business being dependent upon things passed or not passed in the legislature, CWA has begun contacting labor friendly Congressional leaders asking them to send letters to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson urging AT&T to settle the contract. Attached is a letter to Randall Stephenson from Congressman Lloydd Doggett, supporting CWA and encouraging AT&T to negotiate a contract with a "fair wage and benefit scheme."

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10:30 am - The bargaining report from Friday documents the CWA bargaining team working on a bargaining proposal that encompases wages, health care, pension, etc. and answering more questions from the unity meeting.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #57

May 11, 2009

This bargaining report is for Friday, May 8, 2009. Your CWA Bargaining Committee reconvened this morning at 8:30 a.m. and worked continuously on preparing a COMPRHENSIVE BARGAINING PROPOSAL to present to the Company. We plan to continue to work throughout this weekend to complete our proposal.

UNITED WE BARGAIN.................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Q: I would like to know some details about our Retiree Health Care issues. All we have heard is that there has been no progress.

A: The Company REFUSES to talk about current Retiree Health Care or other related issues.

Q: How well are current retirees represented? Some may call these LEGACY costs, but where I come from, this is a commitment that has been made and I hope AT&T live up to their commitment and pay their bills.

A: We continue to raise these issues at the Bargaining Table. The Company in the past has always responded to our concerns pertaining to current retirees. As of today, the Company refuses to discuss current retirees.

Q: Exactly what benefits are the temporary employees loosing by not being permanent? I heard seniority was one of the benefits we lose.

A: Temporary employees get same benefits however, they can be job completed at any time. Temporaries are not on payroll long enough to receive Pension Benefits or any form of Surplus protection. They have no Surplus Rights, etc.

Q: I was hired on as a Temporary worker the Monday before the contract ended. It's easy to see what we're fighting for. I would love some clarification on what my Union is trying to do for the Temporaries in particular?

A: Your Union Bargaining Committee has proposed to make the temporary employees Permanent and at the same time recognize the Seniority of Regular Full Time employees. The Union has also proposed that the Company treat temporary employees like current employees not New Hires under Benefit Plans.

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10:15 am - The bargaining report from Thursday documents the CWA bargaining team's return to the table after going home because of a lack of movement from the company. Additionally it answers more questions from the e-unity meeting

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #56

May 8, 2009

This bargaining report is for Thursday, May 7, 2009. Your CWA Bargaining Committee is traveling back to Austin, Texas to continue negotiations. Plans are to meet at 8:30 tomorrow to review, assess, discuss, prepare and continue bargaining with the Company.

We will keep you posted!

Let's SHOW A HUGH LEVEL OF SUPPORT FOR YOUR CWA BARGAINING COMMITTEE BY STAYING..............

INVOLVED--------------ENGAGED---------------MOTIVATED---------------AND-----UNITED!!

UNITED WE BARGAIN.....................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AT&T Unity e-Meeting Members Questions from CWA Members in District 6 continued....

Q: Have we or any of the other Locals, been in contact with the NEW White House Adminstration to help us put pressure on AT&T?

A: President Cohen indicated the other night on the Web Cast that President Obama and Vice-President Biden were aware of the negotiations.

Q: If Bob Daniel's TOP priority for Consumer Sales Centers is to treat customers in a manner which will guarantee that customers think HIGHLY of AT&T, why does it seem that they do not care about a tech support center that is foreign making technical questions hard to understand which causes frustration and complaints to our customers? Also what about the call que tree which customers constantly complain is too hard to get through to the right department and manager access in our Call Center is very bad? It is very hard to have access to managers.

A: CWA has proposed that AT&T bring ALL CONTRACTED OUT work back to the CORE BARGAINING UNITS. In the past CWA has also attempted and has had some success to get AT&T to BRING JOBS BACK TO THE UNITED STATES however many jobs still remain in foreign countries. Call Que issues and having access to managers could be addressed by Local Union representatives in the various forums that exist either through PMEI, Common Interest Forums or other meetings they have with management.

Q: When did the Company decide to abandon the Joint-Committee on Cost Containment of Health Care and abandon the employees who work in conditions that put there physical well-being at risk, all to provide network reliability and/or service on time; resulthing in a Nation Wide acclaim The attempt to shift additional cost to the employees does little more than show the GREED of UPPER LEVEL MANAGEMENT to increase the numbers on the bottom line? AT&T should NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH!

A: The Company has proposed doing away with the Joint Health Care Cost Containment Committee and their health care proposals would shift significant costs onto their employees and our members. AT&T has been told they are over-reaching on these health care proposals and trying to go to far in one single round of bargaining. Negotiations continue

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05/07/09

9:53 am - The bargaining report from yesterday states that there were no meetings yesterday, however, the CWA bargaining team is heading back to town to start up negotiations. Hopefully, the company bargaining team will actually bargain this time around.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #55

May 7, 2009

This bargaining report is for Wednesday, May 6, 2009. There were no Bargaining Sessions scheduled for today, however the CWA District 6 Bargaining Committee is scheduled to return to Austin tomorrow to continue bargaining with AT&T. We are hopeful that the Company will be READY TO GET SERIOUS AND STRAIGHT DOWN TO BUSINESS!

The CWA Bargaining Committee will be in their planning and preparation mode tomorrow afternoon. We will be working diligently on bargaining proposals and strategies. We will keep you posted.

UNITED WE BARGAIN-----------------------
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AT&T Unity e-Meeting Members Questions from CWA Members in District 6 continued...........

Q: Well first of all I am a retiree and I would hope that our concerns are also important during these difficult contract negotiations. After 30 years of dedicated service to SBC/AT&T and 36 years of being a faithful Union Member of CWA, I would hope that what we have FOUGHT for is not taken away by AT&T's Corporate Greed. What will CWA do to help ensure we keep our Health Care coverage?

A: CWA will continue to demand that Retirees Health Care and other benefits stay in tact and that RETIREES be treated FAIRLY!

Q: As for Health Care Benefit specifics, how much per paycheck does AT&T want me to pay, what deductibles per family member, etc?

A: Deductibles for Family would be $2,550. Out of Pocket expenses for Family will start at $5,300.00 and end up to $7,00.00 by the end of the Contract.

Q: Why is the Company taking so long to decide on our benefits? With the E-mail that we got today about AT&T's profits for the last quarter, you would think that they would reconsider and let us AT&T employees get what we deserve? The CEO is getting greedy!

A: Corporate Greed at its BEST!

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05/06/09

9:23 - The bargaing report for yesterday has no formal meetings. The CWA committee is still reviewing the health care proposal presented by the company and answers more questions from the CWA unity meeting:

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #54

May 6, 2009

This bargaining report is for Tuesday, May 5, 2009. There were no formal Bargaining Sessions scheduled for today. We will keep you posted.

Phase II of our CWA/AT&T Mobilization Time line has kicked off. Let's make sure ALL OF OUR MEMBERS ARE INVOLVED IN OUR PROGRAM! Please check with your Local Mobilization Coordinator for the latest schedule of activities!

EDUCATE---MOTIVATE----INFORM------INVOLVE-----AND ENGAGE

Keep up the GREAT WORK!!

AT&T Unity e-Meeting Questions from CWA members in District 6 continued.......

Q: Why is the "NEW AT&T" acting like the "OLD AT&T" (whom we bought) by treating their CORE employees like GARBAGE after we BUILT the Network that keeps this Company #1! Without the quality of the Land Line Network, DSL (Dry Loops included) or U-VERSE would not be the Future of the Company.

A: New Leadership at AT&T has decided to make changes. It all boils down to CORPORATE GREED not NEED!

Q: From what I understand AT&T was able to purchase CEO Randall Stephenson's home here in San Antonio at an astronomical price because it was not selling fast enough to suit him. I wonder why he is unwilling to care about those that built the company that paid for his house?

A: When it comes to Mr. Stephenson and the management of AT&T it seems as if there is always enough money to do anything they want to do whether it is to buy a new company, or a house, or get AT&T's name on a stadium, or move the corporate offices to Dallas as just some examples. But when it comes to your benefits AT&T wants to shift an unreasonable amount of the cost onto CWA members backs even though the Company continues to be extremely profitable.

Q: Why is the Company neglecting Premise/U-Verse Techs? We need to know why the Company continuously adds more work and responsibilities to our title while not increasing our pay?

A: Based on the Company's response at the bargaining table, AT&T says they want to compete with the Cable Industry, therefore they feel they must keep wages and benefits low. After the Union's numerous demands to improve Premise Technicians work rules and working conditions, AT&T still refuses to treat Premise Technicians just like any other AT&T employees.

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05/05/09

11:46 am - The bargaining report for yesterday says the CWA committee is still reviewing the company health care proposal and answers some questions from the e-unity meeting.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #53

May 5, 2009

This bargaining report is for Monday, May 4, 2009. There were no Bargaining Sessions scheduled for today. The Union continues to do Cost Studies and Cost Analysis on the Company's Health Care Package.

During the CWA National Web Cast District 6 had several members submit questions. Listed below is one of the questions along with CWA's answer:

Q: Why are we not on STRIKE?

A: The possibility of a STRIKE is still an option and a strike date could be set at any time. Currently, CWA has kicked off additional Mobilization activities and we continue to utilize this alternative at this time. Before the membership is asked to take this type of action, CWA wants to be sure all other options have been thoroughly considered, but our right to strike is still intact. Only time will tell, and we must all continue to stick together, communicate, and mobilize for a fair contract.

STAY STRONG---------------STAY UNITED-------------------AND STAY TUNED-------------

UNITED WE BARGAIN.........................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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05/04/09

8:46 am - The union is asking all members to turn down any E-time offered by company as it trys to cut back on costs rather than negotiate a fair contract.

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8:05 am - The bargaining report from Friday.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #52

May 1, 2009

This bargaining report is for Friday, May 1, 2009. There were no formal bargaining sessions scheduled for today. We will keep you posted.

A conference call was held with the CWA Bargaining Committee this afternoon to update them on some health care cost information that has been worked on.

We are currently reviewing hundreds of questions that were sent in, via the National Web Meeting and will be distributing those to Local Unions to help with getting responses out to the membership. We will be taking some of the questions and start responding to them on this website in the near future.

UNITED WE BARGAIN............................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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05/01/09

10:29 pm - The bargaining committee had no meetings yesterday. The health care proposal from the company is still under review.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #51

May 1, 2009

This bargaining report is for Thursday, April 30, 2009. There were no bargaining sessions scheduled for today. We will keep you posted.

STAY UNITED--------------STAY STRONG--------------------AND STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
UNITED WE BARGAIN......................DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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04/30/09

3:11 pmThe following is taken from the CWA National E-Newsletter and gives a report on the status of mobilization efforts across the country.

CWA members' determination to gain fair contracts at AT&T is stronger than ever, as workers continued to mobilize across the country to show solidarity, strength and support for their bargaining teams.

Last Friday, nearly a thousand CWAers gathered in Dallas outside the AT&T annual meeting, where they distributed a special "We Are the Network" report which underscores the critical role CWA members have in AT&T's profitability, growth, and quality service.

Inside the meeting, Vice Presidents Andy Milburn, District 6, and Ralph Maly, Communications and Technologies, criticized AT&T for dragging its feet in negotiations and for its demands that will lower workers' standard of living.

In Los Angeles, more than 700 CWA members and union supporters filled the city streets as they marched from Union Station, where they attended a town hall meeting with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, to AT&T Center. Los Angeles police stopped traffic as the marchers passed and bystanders and motorists waved and honked their support.

The town hall meeting focused on joblessness among veterans, and Solis heard from Jordan Eash, an AT&T worker and member of CWA Local 9400. Eash, a Marine corporal, told Solis and participants that AT&T was terminating his job as a cable splicer because it insisted on counting the time he served during his last tour in Iraq as part of his three-year contract with AT&T.

"When I got back home, I had about six months left on my contract and the company pretty much said they are not going to hire me back and they'd do nothing for me," he said. Eash, 26, got married just a few months after returning from Iraq and was planning to buy a house with his new wife. CWA is fighting to make sure that Eash doesn't get penalized for the time he spent serving our country.

At the rally, speakers included CWA District 9 Vice President Jim Weitkamp; Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Labor Federation and other union leaders, and state assemblywoman Judy Chu. All called on AT&T management to stop its cynical attempt to use the nation's economic crisis as a means to force cutbacks on employees.

In Sacramento, CWAers participated in the state Democratic Party convention and also had time to set up informational picket lines outside the AT&T office across the street from the convention site.

In Ohio last week, in addition to a rally of hundreds of CWAers on the steps of the state capitol in Columbus, Zanesville CWA members rallied in front of the Muskingum County Courthouse, carrying signs and shouting "Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Corporate Greed Has Got to Go."

Workers gained the support of Zanesville Mayor Howard Zwelling, who said, "I've always been a firm believer in collective bargaining. But you deserve to have a fair contract."

In Connecticut, members of Local 1298 are planning a solidarity rally in New Haven on May 15 that will focus on protecting workers' jobs and hard-won benefits. Workers are angry that company officials are using the economy as an excuse for huge health care cost shifting while AT&T remains very profitable.

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3:08 pm - As you know from the bargaining reports, AT&T is trying cuts its workers' health benefits. In contract negotiations with CWA, the company has proposed huge increases in health care costs for its workers and their families -- in some cases tripling what they would pay.

While we have beeng fighting the good fight at the bargianing table and in mobilization activities, we need some help. Help add the voices of your lawmakers in Washington to our effort. Write to your members of Congress and urge them to contact AT&T's CEO Randall Stevens about his company's attempts to cut our benefits:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/triplehealthcare/igbku32r7x7dnnn?

CWA has been a willing negotiating partner with AT&T for 26 years, working with the company to reach path-breaking health care agreements that help save the company money while providing good benefits for workers and their families.

Now AT&T is insisting on benefit cuts that go much too far, shifting too large a share of the costs onto workers. This just doesn't make sense at a time when so many American families are struggling and AT&T continues to thrive.

Just recently, AT&T moved into the Fortune Magazine's top-10 most profitable companies in the world. AT&T's continued growth is the direct result of the hard work of its union employees, who have built, serviced, and maintained its leading voice, video, and data networks.

But even though its profits continue to grow, the telecom giant is trying to use the current recession as an excuse to squeeze its workers out of the benefits they've earned.

If companies like AT&T don't step up in this recession -- and instead hide behind it to squeeze their workers even more -- we will never be able to turn our economy around.

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9:33 am - After the company's first proposal since the contract expired, there were no meetings between the bargaining committees yesterday.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #49

April 29, 2009

This bargaining report is for Wednesday, April 29, 2009. There were no formal bargaining sessions scheduled for today therefore, there is no activity to report.

We will keep you posted.

UNITED WE BARGAIN.........................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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04/29/09

9:37 am - Whether it was the demonstration at the shareholders meeting in Dallas, the CWA bargaining committee's refusal to sit in a room waiting for the company to do nothing or a combination of the two, the company seems suddenly willing to negotiate. AT&T put out a new proposal on health care that removes premiums but still has high deductibles, high out of pocket costs, a two tier system and no application to Appendix J. While the proposal is still retrogressive and still represents take backs on many fronts, seeing some movement out of the AT&T bargaining committee that had been sitting on its hands for the last few weeks is noteworthy.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #49

April 29, 2009

This bargaining report is for Tuesday, April 28, 2009. CWA met with AT&T this morning at the Company's request to continue negotiations. The Company presented the Union with some of the responses to the questions we had asked pertaining to Health Care and other important benefit issues over the past few weeks.

The Company then presented the Union with a revised proposal on benefits. Although the Companies proposal no longer includes medical premiums (monthly contributions) the Union feels that the Company's Health Care Proposal still goes way to far in the area of high deductibles and out of pocket expenses. A two-tier system for current and new hires would still apply with no changes in the previous pension provisions (no accrual for lump sum pension after 1/1/2010) with very small pension increases. Appendix J employees are still carved out of various benefit provisions that apply to all other AT&T bargaining unit members. Co-insurance and premiums for dental and vision would still apply. We continue to review the proposal, however we still see many over-reaching provisions within the proposal.

United We Bargain...................
.....................Divided We Beg!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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04/28/09

11:52 am - The bargaining report for Monday:

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #48

April 28, 2009

This bargaining report is for Monday afternoon, April 27,2009. There were no bargaining sessions scheduled for today, however, a District 6 Mobilization Conference Call did take place. We plan to kick off PHASE II of our "Mobilization Timeline."

Your Local Mobilization Coordinators will be contacting you with all the details on our activities.

STAY UNITED----------------STAY STRONG-------------------AND STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!

UNITED WE BARGAIN.......................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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04/27/09

11:52 am - The latest bargaining reports shows that because of a lack of movement from the company bargaining team, the CWA bargaining team has been sent home. The report also contains instructions for a strike if one is called.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #47

April 27, 2009

This report is for Monday, April 27, 2009. During the past two weeks since the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement with AT&T, the Company has not made a single proposal. Therefore, the bargaining committee was released to return home this weekend. Our Bargaining Chair Richard Kneupper, Assistant to the Vice President; Ed Pinkelman, Area Director; and Sylvia Ramos, CWA Representative are in Austin and available to meet with the Company on a daily basis if needed. Should the Company make a formal proposal, we will cover it with our committee via conference call and decide if the Company is serious enough about reaching an agreement to return the committee to Austin. We want to emphasize that we are not at an impasse with AT&T, but it makes absolutely no sense to have these dedicated bargaining committee members spend week after week away from their families, while the Company drags its feet, plays games and refuses to bargain.

In the mean time you should continue to mobilize. Something new is happening every week, so be sure to check with your local union.

We understand there has been an outbreak of the Swine flu...Easy to catch when you work for pigs!

Work safe and be healthy.

Be aware a strike could occur at any time. If you are on the job when a strike is called, please follow the guidelines listed below:

If you work outside, upon being notified CWA is on strike against AT&T, politely advise the customer that CWA has called a strike and that you must return to your truck and report for strike duty. The best option is to return your Company truck to your normal reporting location. However if you cannot return your truck to your normal place of reporting, then you should take your truck to the nearest AT&T work location, lock the truck with the key inside and advise your supervisor where you have left the truck.

If you work inside and you are on the telephone with a customer, you should politely advise the customer that CWA has just called a strike against AT&T, and you are going to put them on hold and transfer the call to a manager. Everyone should then leave work and check with their local to verify their strike assignment.

We will continue to update this website daily, unless AT&T starts to make some real movement there will be little to report each day.

United We Bargain..............
...........Divided We Beg!!!

Please click the following link to view the new online petition:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attjobsfirst

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9:25 am - Over 500 CWA members flooded the AT&T shareholder meeting in Dallas on Friday. As a result of all the red shirts in attendance, many of the high profile investors had to sit in a tent outside and view the meeting over a closed circuit television. Needless to say, CWA made a large impact at the meeting. After the board of directors was introduced and the current and future status of the company was given, shareholders were allowed to participate in a Q&A. CWA took over the Question and Answer session and peppered Randall Stephenson with questions about the company's loyalty to retirees, the cost of the contingency workforce that is standing by in case of a work stoppage, the lack of movement by the company at the bargaining table, the lack of Uverse installations in places where facilities are available and the CEO's inability or refusal to answer many of the questions asked.

For those shareholders who were not displaced from the actual shareholder meeting room, they were greeted with an informational picket line of CWA members, in front of the country-club-like meeting location.

CWA members and a few investors exit the overflow tent after the meeting From ATT Shareholder Rally 42409

The San Antonio paper had a story covering the Shareholders meeting and CWA's involvement because of the slow process of negotiations:

Union talks dominate AT&T event

By David Saleh Rauf - Express-News

DALLAS — As bargaining talks enter their eight week, several hundred union members embroiled in contract negotiations with AT&T on Friday swarmed the telecommunication giant's annual meeting of stockholders, where the company's top executive announced plans to create 3,000 new high-tech jobs in the near future.

But the creation of new jobs in a crumbling economy was overshadowed as members of the Communication Workers of America pressed for answers about ongoing contract negotiations. Nearly 100,000 wireline AT&T employees, about one-third of the telephone company's total work force, have remained on the job since April 5 without a contract. Bargaining negotiations, which began Feb. 24, between AT&T and the CWA are ongoing, but several union members said Friday there has been little to no progress in the last two weeks. (more...)

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04/26/09

11:35 am - If you missed the national unity web meeting last Thursday, an on demand broadcast is available from the national:

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9:52 - The bargaining report for Friday:

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #46

April 24, 2009

This report is for Friday, April 24, 2009. The Sub-Committees representing Appendix A, B, D, and I met this morning to continue negotiations. Discussions took place pertaining to Appendix I - Bilingual Differential, Appointment Time, and Emergency Time Off. The Union also asked the Company questions pertaining to the Service Representative Task Force Agreement. The Company is in the process of gathering important data that the Union requested. We will reconvene on Monday, April 27, 2009.

Sub-Committees representing Appendix C, H, and J met this afternoon to continue reviewing Temporary Full Time Employee's (TFT's) work locations. Discussions took place pertaining to the Company's transfer process and its application for TFT's.

A Formal Bargaining Session is scheduled for Monday.

UNITED WE BARGAIN..........................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please click the following link to view the new online petition:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attjobsfirst

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8:56 am - The bargaining reports for Wednesday and Thursday shows a continuing trend of lack of information or answers from the company. The discussions mainly centered around health care and the union called the company out on its misleading bargaining reports regarding health care.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #45

April 24, 2009

This bargaining report is for Thursday, April 23, 2009. The Sub-Committees representing Appendix C, H, and J reconvened negotiations this morning pertaining to the Temporary Full Time Employees (TFT's). The Union reviewed updated data on the work locations for current temporary employees.

The Formal Bargaining Session took place this afternoon. The Company rejected the Union's proposals on Evolving Technologies and President's Council. The Union also continued with questions pertaining to Dental and Care Plus. The Union also questioned AT&T about their willingness to support National Health Care Reform, which would save the Company significant amounts of money.

A discussion also took place pertaining to the misinformation on the AT&T NEWS NOW Alert that was sent on April 23, 2009 at 12:20 p.m. to employees titled, "Labor Update: Facts about health care plans currently under negotiation." We asked what proposal did this Labor Update apply to because it clearly was not the one on the bargaining table here in District 6, as the Company proposal on the table has premiums (monthly contributions), high deductibles, high out of pocket maximums, and co-insurance. For example, there is a up to $5300.00 out of pocket expense for family coverage, a modest annual maximum when currently the plan is $0? We told the Company we would like to see this alleged proposal since it has not been presented at the table and that their Labor Update was disingenuous to say the least!

Negotiations are scheduled to continue tomorrow for both Sub-Committees.

Don't fall for AT&Ts propaganda.

UNITED WE BARGAIN.........................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please click the following link to view the new online petition:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attjobsfirst

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CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #44

April 23, 2009

This bargaining report is for Wednesday, April 22, 2009. A Formal Bargaining Session was held this afternoon. Discussions on Health Care continued. The Union reiterated to the Company that we were still waiting for their counter proposals.

Sub-Committees representing Appendix C, H, and J reconvened bargaining. Discussion took place pertaining to the Temporary Full Time Employees (TFT's). Based on the fact that the Company did not have the appropriate information, negotiations are scheduled to continue tomorrow.

UNITED WE BARGAIN.............................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please click the following link to view the new online petition:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attjobsfirst

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04/23/09

9:31 am - As reported yesterday, AT&T's financial report for the 1st quarter was posted on Wednesday. The report showed that AT&T had a better than expected quarter. The company is maintaining that its growth is in wireless and that the landline division is shrinking. While some of the numbers don't necessarily support that statement, the company is trying to justify its behavior in bargaining by creating a relationship in the public eye between CWA members in the core contract and the shrinking wireline business. In response, CWA put out a press release stating that AT&T's success depends upon its integrated network, and CWA core contract members are responsible for that integrated network. CWA also put up a new webpage at www.wearethenetwork.org that highlights how profitable the company has been and how that profit is directly related to the employees.

The AT&T shareholder meeting is taking place tomorrow in Dallas. CWA Local 6132 is sending a delegation of officers and members up there to join several other locals in District 6. At the shareholder meeting, members will be attending the meeting, where Randall Stephenson will be giving his report to the shareholders. CWA members will also be handing out CWA's report the to shareholders. The report talks about AT&T's success, its position in the industry, its potential for future growth and its responsibility to its employees, who provided all this profit. A copy of CWA's report is linked below.

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04/22/09

11:25 am - CWA has sent out a press release responding to AT&T's Quarterly Earnings Report. The release focuses on how an integrated network is responsible for AT&T's success and "wireline" employees are responsible for that network. The release also focuses on health care and CWA trying to team with AT&T to work towards a national health care solution rather than just cost shifting as AT&T is attempting to do in bargaining.

WASHINGTON - (Business Wire) Following are comments by the Communications Workers of America on AT&T’s first quarter 2009 earnings, released today:

AT&T’s first quarter 2009 profit beat expectations because of strong growth in video and data services and wireless, keeping the company on track for continued solid gains. That was the consensus of industry observers, analysts and the company’s top executives. “For this economy, it was an outstanding performance,” one analyst commented. (more...)

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10:00 am - The bargaining report for yesterday highlights more of the company's inability to answer questions or provide informationa about its own proposals. The union committee stated that being the number one telecommunications company on Forbes list makes all the company's complaints about costs seem hollow and just highlights its lack of respect for employees.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #43

April 22, 2009

This bargaining report is for Tuesday, April 21, 2009. Sub-Committees representing Appendix A, B, D, and I met this morning to continue bargaining. Discussions took place pertaining to the Joint Agreements of the Service Representative Review Committee, recommendations of the Communications Consultant Joint Leadership Forum, recommendations of the Revenue Management Representative Working Group and the Operator Task Force Recommendations. The Union asked numerous questions pertaining to these agreements. The Company stated they would need to research and get back to us with the answers. Both parties agreed to continue negotiations later this week.

The Formal Bargaining Session took place this afternoon. The Union’s opening statement to the Company was, “When your Number 1 YOU can’t get MUCH higher!” The Company questioned, “Number ONE?” The Union clarified this was in regard’s to AT&T’s rating on the FORTUNE 1000 LIST for the top telecommunications companies. The Union also stated that the Company was just being GREEDY based on their cost shifting Health Care Proposal.

The Company was going TOO FAR----TOO QUICK and we feel that it shows a total lack of respect.

Bargaining continued with the Union asking questions pertaining to the Company’s Health Care, Flexible Spending Accounts, Medicare, Long-Term Care, Dental, and Care Plus benefit proposal. The Company did not have any new information to present to the Union.

The Union asked about the status of the Temporary Full Time (TFT) information that has been pending. The Company said they should have that information by 5:00 p.m. today. The Temporary Full Time Sub-Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow to continue bargaining.

Full negotiations are scheduled to continue tomorrow.

AT&T’s First Quarter Earnings Statement is scheduled to be out tomorrow.

THIS IS NO WAY TO “THANK" THE EMPLOYEES THAT GENERATED THESE EARNINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AT&T needs to get SERIOUS about our FUTURE-----BY GETTING SERIOUS AT THE BARGAINING TABLE!

Please join the AT&T National Unity e-Meeting Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. (CST) with Larry Cohen, President of CWA and Annie Hill, Executive Vice President.

• Bargaining update
• Member questions
• Next steps in member mobilization

You must register in advance at www.cwaunion.tv. After registering, you will be able to submit questions you would like addressed during the meeting.

Keep the pressure on! Together we must convince AT&T that they must change course and negotiate a fair and just contract.

Please click the following link to view the new online petition:

www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attjobsfirst

NO CONTRACT-----------------------------
NO PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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9:15am - The quarterly earnings for AT&T are out. Bloomberg is reporting that the net revenue was down, but profits climbed higher than expected Wall Street and the company had forcasted. For it's part, AT&T seems to be highlighting the declining net revenues rather than celebrating the rise in profits, surely the current contract negotiations are causing AT&T's "the glass is a little empty" rather than "the glass is mostly full" outlook. We are sure to hear about declining wireline business from the company in the coming days as well. While the company likes to say that core contract employees only deal with wireline, the simple fact is that Core contract employees deal with cellular (which posted a 9.8% increase) and data services (which posted a 4.7% increase) as well as regular voice services.

AT&T Profit Tops Estimates as Clients Spend on Data (Update1)

By Amy Thomson

April 22 (Bloomberg) -- AT&T Inc., the biggest U.S. phone company, posted first-quarter profit that topped analysts’ estimates after wireless customers spent more and labor expenses declined. (more...)

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04/21/09

8:47 am - CWA headquarters put out the following ad about AT&T trying to take money away from its workers while posting record profits.

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8:36 am - In yesterday's bargaining report discussion centered around the Service Rep Task Force agreement and the company's refusal to extend it into this contract.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #42

April 20, 2009

This bargaining report is for Monday, April 20, 2009. The Sub-Committees representing Appendix A, B, D, and I met this morning to continue negotiations. Most of this bargaining session consisted of questions asked by the Union pertaining to the Service Representative Task Force Agreement. The Union’s major concern is the Company’s reluctance to renew this agreement through the life of the new contract. After a lengthy discussion, both parties agreed to reconvene later this week.

A Formal Bargaining session took place this afternoon. The Union presented the Company with their lists of questions pertaining to the Commuter Plan, FSA, HRA, DCRA, MCRA, Adoption, Dental, etc., as we continue to study the Summary Plan Descriptions line by line. Bargaining is scheduled to continue tomorrow.

Please click the following link to view the new online petition:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attjobsfirst

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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8:05 am - This Thursday, there will be a national CWA unity meeting where members from all the AT&T regions can call in and listen to CWA National President Cohen and Executive Vice President, Annie Hill, updating the membership on the status of bargaining at AT&T, sharing video and voices of AT&T workers from around the country, and answering questions from the membership. They will also be detailing specific actions members can take to show their strength and put pressure on AT&T to reach an agreement.

To participate in the meeting, members must register in advance at http://www.cwaunion.tv. After they register they will have the opportunity to submit questions that they would like for us to address during the meeting.

This is a critical time for our union and the labor movement. It's essential that healthy companies like AT&T maintain good jobs in our communities with fair wages and adequate health coverage.

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04/19/09

8:22 pm - Video of the CWA 6132 picket at the bargaining site:

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04/17/09

4:53 pm - Today's bargaining report shows little movement. Most of the talks are centering around health care as that has become the biggest hurdle in negotiating all other benefits.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #41

April 17, 2009

This bargaining report is for Friday, April 17, 2009. A Formal Bargaining Session was conducted this afternoon. Lengthy discussions took place pertaining to the Commute, Adoption, Dental and Vision Plans. No progress to report. Sub-Committee A, B, D and I is schedule to meet at 10:00 a.m. on Monday.

As you can see by the short Bargaining Reports---NO PROGRESS is taking place at the TABLE, even though discussion is taking place, it is primarily focused on Health Care. Next week will be extremely important. Please make plans to attend the AT&T Shareholders Meeting.

Important Mobilization Activities:

Sign our On-Line Petition

Request to Review Your Personnel History File

Stay tuned for Project Phase II

UNITED WE BARGAIN......................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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10:18 am - Inspite of AT&T's claims to the news outlets about how good a health care plan they are offering in negotiations (see previous post), the company's bargaining team still doesn't seem to know enough about it to answer simple questions put forth by the union.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #40

April 17, 2009

This bargaining report is for Thursday, April 16, 2009. Bargaining continued between CWA and AT&T. The Union once again requested the TOTAL amount of money their Health Care Package would save the Company. The Company stated they did not have that information. The Union reiterated to the Company that we needed to have a CLEAR understanding of Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Plan, etc. in order to properly assess the plan.

Bargaining is scheduled to continue tomorrow.

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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9:01 am - The AT&T spin machine seems to have kicked into high gear. As of now, two news sources have picked up the story that the company put out last week in its bargaining report regarding wage increases and pensions increases offered by AT&T.

AT&T offers wage hikes to CWA, bargaining continues

April 17, 2009 — 9:19am ET | By Pete Wylie

AT&T spokesman Walt Sharp has shed some light on offers the telco is making in the ongoing negotiations with the CWA over wireline employees' contracts. Sharp told the Springfield News-Leader that AT&T has offered CWA employees wage increases in every year of their contracts, but could not comment on the amount of the increases, because the two sides are still negotiating. (more...)

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AT&T: Union was offered wage hikes

NEWS-LEADER STAFF • APRIL 17, 2009

AT&T spokesman Walt Sharp clarified Thursday that the company has offered wage increases as part of ongoing contract negotiations with 80,500 Core wireline members of Communications Workers of America. "We have offered wage increases in every year of the contract," Sharp said. "I can't give you the amounts because we're still in negotiations." (more...)

This is the same "company news" that was discussed in a local email update and at the membership meeting last week. It is a half-truth the company is putting out there to make the company seem generous and CWA members seem greedy and unreasonable. As always, things in the company propaganda are not always as they seem.

The "wage increase" the company is boasting about is strictly a pay issue and doesn't address total compensation. The distinction between wage and compensation comes in when you factor in health care. With what the company wants CWA members to pay for health care, the small "wage increase" offered by the company is not enough to off set the cost of the company's proposed health care plan. Thus, what the company touts as a "wage increase" is actually a cut in total compensation since members will be taking home less than they do now.

Both articles state that the health care plan offered to employees is better than management. First, the company saying that the proposed health care plan "keeps wireline bargained-for employees with lower health care costs than AT&T management" is not saying a whole lot since management's plan is very expensive. Second, the company spokesperson neglects to admit that only some of the company's managers are saddled with bad plan. There are plenty of upper-level managers that don't have to pay a thing for health care. Third, no matter how the company phrases it, AT&T can't get around the simple fact that it made $12.9 billion in profits last year after paying the health care costs its claiming are too expensive now.

Likewise the company's statment about pension increases does not give an accurate description of the situation. The company is proposing a 1% increase in pensions. Not a great increase, but an increase none the less. The problem comes when you look at the company's new proposal for calculating pensions. Currently pensions are calculated on the GATT rate, but the company wants to switch to calculating pensions with the Corporate Bond Rate. This switch in calculation method can take 10 of thousands of dollars away from individual employee pensions. When you take the new calculation method and add the 1% increase that the company is so happy to talk about, it still ends with CWA members having substantially less of a pension benefit then they do now.

Only AT&T could talk about substantial cuts to what employees currently have, and brag about those cuts as increases CWA members should be happy about.

Also, the News Leader article talks about upgrades for Prem Techs that the company has offered. In the same article, the paper talks about misusing a quote from 2002 bargaining, and it seems that this mystical Prem Tech upgrade is a mistake of the same caliber. As of yesterday, the union bargining committee stated that the company has not backed off its previous proposal for Prem Techs, which involves them doing a higher class of work (climbing poles, installing drops, etc) with no additional pay and no change in the current workrules. The bargaining committee stated that the company is still treating the Prem Techs like second class citizens and trying to exempt them from any benefits that would apply to the rest of the employees covered by the core agreement.

The bargaining committee continues to report that with the company's proposals, CWA members are so far behind the benefits that they currently have that, we would never get back to where we are now. It is going to be an extremely hard fight just to keep what we have. Yet, the company frames this gutting of employee beneifts as increases and upgrades. I guess the world looks a little different when viewed through glasses worth $12.9 billion.

Don't be fooled by the company's selective reporting.

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04/16/09

1:30 pm - The bargaining report for today shows little movement. The company has answered a few of the questions the union had about the health care plan, but there are still many questions the company has failed to answer.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #39

April 16, 2009

This bargaining report is for Wednesday, April 15, 2009. The CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committee met this afternoon to continue negotiations. The Company provided the Union with responses to some of the questions on Health Care Coverage. The Union reviewed the documentation and asked questions accordingly. There are still numerous questions that the Company has not provided responses to.

The Union also presented counter proposals on the CWA/AT&T Presidents Council and Evolving Technologies. Bargaining is scheduled to continue tomorrow.

UNITED WE BARGAIN…………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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12:45 pm - CWA local 6450 in Kansas City has put out video taking our issues to a public forum.

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04/15/09

11:58 am - CWA Local 6132 members held an informational picket at the AT&T HR building where contract negotiations for District 6 are taking place. This was the first day back for the company bargaining team after an Easter break and the members of 6132 made it a noisy one. Stay tuned for upcoming mobilization activities.

CWA Local 6132 members let AT&T know they want a contract now! From 4-14-09 Rally

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11:19 am - On the first day back from the Easter break, the bargaining teams focused on TFT's and the methods of making them permanent. As reported before, the company wanted to make some of the temps permanent but only if it could classify the temps as new hires. With the company's proposed two-tier scheme, that would mean that the temps would have a different (read not as good) health care plan and pension benefit. Additionally, the company had previously wanted the right to move the temps from their current location up to 250 miles away. It appears, from yesterday's bargaining report, that the company is still proposing the same cuts for temporaries.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #38

April 15, 2009

This bargaining report is for Tuesday, April 19, 2009. The CWA C, H, and J Sub-Committees met this afternoon to continue discussions. A lengthy discussion took place in regards to Temporary Full Time (TFT's). Some of the Unions major concerns are the process the Company wants to utilize to place the TFTS's in permanent positions and the Company's proposal to treat TFT's as NEW HIRES once transferred to permanent positions for Benefit purposes.

There is no additional progress to report.

Negotiations are scheduled to continue tomorrow in full committee session.

Let’s keep up our Mobilization to the highest level and please check with your Local Mobilization Coordinators for our next MAJOR MOBILIZATION ACTIVITY!!!

UNITED WE BARGAIN........................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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04/14/09

12:32 am - The local will be having a rally at the AT&T HR building where negotiations are taking place. The bargaining committees for the company and the union have been on break over Easter and this will be the first day of negotiations after the break. The location of this rally is the same location as our first rally. As before, parking is limited and there is no parking on company premises. The only options for parking are the dead end street and the Westgate shopping center across 290. The local is suggesting that members carpool if able.

Rally at AT&T HR building
4544 S. Lamar
Austin, TX 78735
April 14, 2009
4:30pm - 7:00 pm

View Larger Map

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04/11/09

9:44 am - AT&T has posted the following YouTube video, hinting at how solid a company it is even during the economic downturn and talking about how much money it is investing in the broadband infrastructure. The video is entitled "Investing in America's future" and many CWA members have logged into YouTube and left comments on the video about how AT&T needs to invest in its employees too.

Go to AT&T's YouTube channel and leave a comment about how that stability that is bragging about is a result of its highly trained employees and if it wants to remain stable, as it is telling investors, then AT&T needs to invest in those employees rather than trying to sell them down the river.

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9:32 am - CWA has put out a Twitter mobilization action against AT&T and its extravagant sponsorship of the Masters Golf Tournament. It seems irresponsible to sink so much money in to a sporting event while using expense as an excuse to take away our benefits. Details of the "Twitterization" are included below.

AT&T is a the leading sponsor of the 2009 Masters Tournament -- a role that surely cost the company some big bucks. If it has enough money to spend on golf, it shouldn't be trying to cut jobs and take away its workers' health care benefits.

At CWA, we're not going to let this happen. We're using every tool we've got to put pressure on AT&T. You've already helped out by signing our petition, but now there's one more thing you can do.

To reach as many people as possible, we're using Twitter during this weekend's Masters Tournament. This innovative service lets us send short messages about AT&T's corporate greed to an audience of millions. All you have to do is go to www.twitter.com, sign in or create a new account, and start sending messages.

Check out Twitter and help spread the word about AT&T's corporate greed:

www.twitter.com

When you send your "tweets," be sure to include a link to our petition (www.standupforworkers.com) and add #masters to the end of your message. This will make sure that other Twitter users who are following the Masters Tournament will see your messages about AT&T. Here are a few sample messages you can send:

Master of corporate greed -- AT&T wants to cut my health benefits www.standupforworkers.com #masters

AT&T leaves its workers in a bunker www.standupforworkers.com #masters

AT&T at the top of the leader board for corporate greed www.standupforworkers.com #masters

AT&T execs: watching golf and cutting retiree health benefits www.standupforworkers.com #masters

Start using Twitter to stand up to AT&T right now:

http://www.twitter.com

At CWA, we're always looking for new ways to communicate and organize. When we're facing powerful and greedy companies like AT&T, we need to use every potential means to advocate for our members.

Twitter is just the latest example of innovative ways that technology can help us reach out to new audiences about protecting our jobs and benefits. These new tools -- combined with your commitment and unity -- will ensure that we continue to strengthen our union and reinforce our rights.

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9:27 - REMINDER : You've probably received your proxy by postal mail or e-mail. To have the union deliver your proxy to AT&T as part of a mobilization action, follow these instructions.

Note: You cannot vote online or by phone if you want the union to deliver your proxy.

Turn your proxies in to the local by April 14. CWA will be delivering voted proxies to the company. CWA is not asking for discretionary authority to vote proxies on behalf of its members. Please make sure you vote and sign your proxy.

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9:19 am - Another bargaining newsletter was put out by the national talking about bargaining at each of the tables and showing all the mobiliztion that is taking place across the country.

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04/10/09

1:30 pm - Easter weekend sees little travel from AT&T managers as they are instructed to stay close in case of a work stoppage.

Rumor Mill: AT&T mgmt staying close to the office

April 10, 2009 — 1:16am ET | By Doug Mohney

Las Vegas - MetaSwtich counted 635 attendees at its Forum event this week, but the numbers would have been higher if AT&T wasn't on high alert due to the potential threat of a work action by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). (more...)

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04/09/09

4:56 pm - The bargaining report for today shows that the company and the union continue to work on issue regarding Prem Techs and Health Care.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #37

April 9, 2009

This Bargaining Reports Report is for Thursday, April 9, 2009. The CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committees met today, to continue negotiations. The Company provided a short recap of the Health Care Plan. After a brief discussion on Health Care, the Union opened dialogue pertaining to the Premise Technicians title.

This entire week we have had numerous discussions on Health Care and Premise Technicians.

After Seven weeks of Bargaining the Committees have agreed to break for Easter and will continue bargaining on Tuesday, April 14, 2009.

UNITED WE BARGAIN…………………………..
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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9:06 am - An article on the financial website thestreet.com talks about the posibility of a strike at AT&T and the financial impact that might cause. The article contends that inspite of a likely strike, AT&T's outlook is good for investors. Two things of particular interest in the article concern AT&T's feelings on a strike. The article states that "...a high-level contact indicates that AT&T's management will let the strike occur because it will highlight the discrepancy between union and non-union benefits." Additionally, the article goes on to say that AT&T is banking on a strike to turn the public opinion against the union because of the disparity between the benefits of union members and the work benefits of everyone else.

As was postulated in CWA's "We are not on strike YET..." flier, it seems more and more that AT&T wanted CWA to strike and was counting on the plight of the economy and the sad financial state of the American public in general to create a public backlash against CWA for walking out at a time when many people are looking for jobs.

Our current strategy of working past the deadline and ramping up the internal mobilization seems to fly in the face of the company's pre-planned scenario. We can still strike and very well may, but you can be confident that it will be at a time when it is most beneficial to the union, not the company. Keep drawing a paycheck and put the pressure on!!

The full article on thestreet.com can be accessed here.

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8:45 am - The bargaining report for yesterday had the company calling the union "way out of line" for its proposal on Prem Techs and confusion on the union and company sides about the company proposed health care plan.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #36

April 8, 2009

The CWA Bargaining Committee met with the Company to continue negotiations. The Company rejected our Union Proposal pertaining to Premise Technicians, stating it was WAY OUT OF LINE as far as maintaining the STRUCTURE. The UNION responded they should just treat the Premise Technicians like everybody else doing that work! The Company also rejected the Union’s Proposal on Funerals stating that the Company DOES NOT REQUIRE the “up to three days of paid time” to be CONSECUTIVE. The Company also rejected the Union’s Vacation Proposal.

Discussions also took place pertaining to Good Jobs in Eight/GPS Task Force Agreement, and the PMEI Statement of Renewed Commitment. The Union presented the Company with a Revised Proposal on Job Vacancy. The Company did not have any updates on the information we requested. The Union informed the Company that we need to see the COST on the Health Care issue that the Company is proposing. It is imperative that we have a CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE PLAN in order to even assess it. Apparently, the Company doesn’t even have a CLEAR understanding of the Plan based on some of the questions that could not be answered at the table.

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………………..
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!

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04/08/09

2:03 pm - REMINDER: Because of the attendance at the last membership meeting, a motion was passed to hold this month's meeting at the Texas AFL-CIO building. The meeting will be Thursday, April 9, 2009 at 1106 Lavaca Street, Austin, TX 78701, starting at 7:30 pm. A map of the location is included below.

View Larger Map

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1:56 pm - The bargaining report for yesterday shows that talks centered around Health Care and call for all members, families and friends to sign the online petition.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #35

April 8, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Tuesday, April 7, 2009. CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committees met this afternoon to continue negotiations. The Union presented the following Revised Proposals to the Company: Funeral, Vacations and Premise Technicians. The Company had no new or revised Proposals to present to the Union. The Company agreed to review our proposals and respond accordingly.

Discussions continued pertaining to Health Care. The Union spent much of the afternoon getting clarification on questions pertaining to EAP, Prescriptions, Vision, Dental, etc. The Company was unable to answer many of the questions asked, so we will await their responses. Both Parties agreed to Continue Negotiations tomorrow.

After Six Weeks of Negotiations and Mobilization, we must let AT&T know, WE WILL NOT STAND for the Company to continue the trend of SUBSTANDARD PROPOSALS pertaining to CRITICAL items such as Health Care, Outsourcing, Refusing to Bargain for our Retirees, Leveraged Titles-Two Tiering of current titles (Service Representatives), Cuts in Benefits, etc.

WE NEED 10,000 SIGNATURES on our, “PETITION OF SUPPORT” in the next week to show AT&T that the ENTIRE UNION IS MOBILIZED AND BEHIND OUR BARGAINING TEAMS.

Every member MUST ask their friends, family, neighbors, ETC. to sign our petition at the link listed below:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attdowhatsright/ikedk4o7wbn8dd?

UNITED WE BARGAIN……………………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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04/07/09

2:51 pm - The CWA national headquarters had put out an online petition urging AT&T executives to do the right thing in contract negotiations. All members need to log on and sign it and then forward it to friends and family so that the company can finally get the message that we are serious and we have support.

It's happening again. Another big corporation is looking out for its executives and big investors at the expense of workers.

This time, it's AT&T. In contract negotiations with CWA, the company keeps pushing for cuts in quality jobs, health care benefits, and standard of living increases.

The contract has expired, and CWA's bargaining committees are working nonstop to try to reach an agreement with AT&T. But the company won't budge. We need 10,000 signatures on our petition of support in the next week to show AT&T that the whole union is mobilized behind our bargaining teams.

Will you sign?

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attdowhatsright/igbku3ra7wbn8dd?

AT&T claims that these cuts are necessary because of the poor economy. They've even had the nerve to compare telecom to the auto industry, even though telecom continues to expand and remain profitable. Just last year, AT&T made $12.9 billion in profits -- almost a billion more than the previous year.

AT&T can and should be a leader in supporting quality middle class jobs and benefits. That makes communities and our economy stronger. Instead, AT&T wants to increase profits by taking money out of the pockets of its workforce and even its retirees.

We've shown the company how to save money without massive cost-shifting; yet their only objective is to make workers pay more. Clearly, AT&T is looking for scapegoats, not solutions.

Tell AT&T to do the right thing -- sign our petition urging the company stop trying to cut jobs and benefits:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attdowhatsright/igbku3ra7wbn8dd?

Fortune Magazine recently named AT&T the world's Most Admired Telecom Company. In response, the company's chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said, "This honor is a real tribute to the competitive drive, the passion to serve and the innovative spirit that defines the people of AT&T."

But the company's actions speak louder than its words. If it really cares about its employees, AT&T will stop trying to squeeze the wage increases and benefits they've earned out of them, and start supporting more quality jobs, a better standard of living, and real health care reform.

The current contract negotiations with AT&T are a critical moment for our union, for workers across the country, and for the U.S. economy. In these tough times, the best thing we can do is strengthen American workers and the middle class -- and that means ensuring there are more quality jobs with good wages and health care for all.

Show AT&T that CWA is standing strong -- sign our petition right now:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/attdowhatsright/igbku3ra7wbn8dd?

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12:30 pm - As reported earlier, AT&T put out a "Labor Update" yesterday that was filled with misleading info. The talk about company proposed wage increases and pension increases was brought to light in yesterday's post, however, there are are few other things contained in the company's report that need to be addressed.

In its report, the company indicated that it was ready to negotiate with CWA at any time. While CWA is still negotiating with AT&T, the company hardly seems willing to contribute to productive negotiations in spite of what it is putting out in reports. Additionally, as the contract expiration was coming near, the company stated that it was going to give CWA its last and final bargaining proposal. The contract expired and CWA was still waiting for this "final proposal" that never came. CWA even went as far as telling the company to give the union its best offer and the union would put it out for a vote. The company never came forward with its best offer, presumably because it knew that the members would not ratify it.

Also the company has really been hitting the public with the fact that the current contract negotiations cover wireline employees and that wireline sales have declined. While it is true that wireline sales have decreased, the company neglects to mention is that Uverse, AT&T's hope for the future, also comes through wire line cables, Data for home Internet service comes through wireline cables and the cell signals for cellular telephone transmissions come from cell towers which work off of wireline cables. The company can say all it wants to about the loss of wireline revenue, but the fact is that the employees who can strike at any time are responsible for maintaining the network for phone, data, tv and cell signals. Just about every service AT&T has, comes through a wireline cable. So while sales for phone lines have declined, the other products that are responsible for AT&T's $12.9 billion profit all work beacause of the wireline cables and the employees that maintain them.

Thus, rather than being "willing and ready to negotiate at any time" the company has been wasting time with useless proposals that it knows the members will not pass. Using the loss of wireline revenue as a justification for the cuts rings hollow as well since every service AT&T offers is dependent upon the wireline network in some manner. It is important that all of our members as well as the general public knows the truth behind the company's veil of misleading information.

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11:30am - the latest bargaining report states that health care was the major item of discussion for yesterday's negotiations.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #34

April 7, 2009

This report is for Monday, April 6, 2009. As negotiations continued between CWA and AT&T, the afternoon bargaining session was focused on HEALTH CARE Coverage. CWA’s Bargaining Committee had numerous questions on AT&T’s Health Care Proposal. Dialogue also took place in regards to some of the data that the Company had provided. The Union has numerous concerns pertaining to the Company’s, “Consumer Based Health Care Coverage!” Both parties agreed to continue bargaining tomorrow.

Our members are well aware, we are working without a contract, which means a strike COULD be called at anytime without giving prior notice to the Company. Meanwhile, our members MUST continue to MOBILIZE-MOBILIZE-MOBILIZE!

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!

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04/06/09

8:15 pm - The following flier should be posted on all bulletin boards and distributed to all members.

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7:00 pm - In the following article, Randall Stephenson, the CEO of AT&T, is said to be taking the game of robber baron CEO's to a whole new level.

The War Against Tyrannical CEO’s

April 6, 2009

The Last Beacon
The War Against Tyrannical CEO’s
by Joey Davis

For years now I’ve walked on eggshells when discussing corporate America and the CEO’s who run our largest companies, mostly due to the unrelenting rhetoric that would surely follow. Rhetoric that says I’m a “socialist” or “anti-American” because I dare suggest that our American prosperity machine is flawed.

Enron, Halliburton, AIG, Global Crossing, Citibank, General Motors, and the list goes on, are reminders that unrestrained capitalism can be dangerous when pirating CEO’s are allowed to pilfer with reckless abandon that which Americans have worked so hard to build.

And while pirating CEO’s pillage in the light of day, other CEO’s creep silently in the shadows like vampires and slowly suck the life out of all of us. Today I view capitalism like religion, as a cloak that covers both saints and sinners, where government can be a maritime legion who sinks the vessel holding the pirates or the light of day that destroys the vampire.

But government cannot do it all. We the people must stop referring to companies as the villain and instead refer to, by name, the CEO’s who ran those companies into the ground, took multi-million dollar bonuses while doing so, jumped off at the last minute, and then floated safely to ground with their golden parachutes.

After all, it wasn’t the guy on the assembly line that drove GM into bankruptcy; it was CEO Rick Wagner who did so and collected millions in the process. Likewise, it wasn’t Enron employees who cooked the books, it was Enron’s executives led by CEO Kenneth Lay and executives of Arthur Anderson. Nor was it the common workers of AIG who used their triple A rating to scam the world, it was CEO Maurice R. Greenberg whose greed and arrogance crippled our world economy.

So who’s next?

Unbeknownst to most Americans, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has been lurking off shore like a pirate on the horizon, waiting for his moment to come ashore and fill his coffers with profits he’ll obtain by pillaging the hard working middleclass men and women of AT&T, robbing them of their fair and just deserved wages and benefits. CEO Stephenson, a pirate whose sole purpose is to destroy in the name of profits, one of the last bastions of the American middle class worker, and has commandeered the once majestic vessel called Ma Bell, a powerful symbol of American ingenuity, know-how, and the middle class.

Alexander Graham Bell combined sound and electricity. His legacy built the American story for 130 years, and gave us companies like Western Electric and AT&T, creating jobs for middle-class families paying fair wages and benefits for linemen, switchboard operators, and other union workers who were able to purchase homes for their families and realize the American dream. Now Mr. Stephenson wants to tear down the American tradition where an honest company pays an honest day’s wages so long as it can remain profitable.

Well, Mr. Stephenson, AT&T profited a whopping 13 billion dollars in 2008 during one of the worst recessions in 75 years, now it’s your turn to do the right thing by the men and women who did the jobs that make AT&T so profitable!!

Not to be outdone by the CEO’s of AIG, Enron and GM, Mr. Stephenson has carefully and calculatingly surveyed today’s scorched American landscape at the hands of his fellow CEO’s, and has noted their mistakes so that he may deal a more deliberate blow against his workers and escape with the spoils of his unjust war against the middle class.

While America licks her wounds he plans his attack, not realizing that although wounded, America is never weak, and Americans will no longer stand by and allow CEO’s to rape and pillage the American worker!

We will not stand back and watch another corporate elitist CEO tear down yet another American institution in the name of profits! Generations of men and women worked hard and sacrificed for Ma Bell and will not let you destroy it without a fight.

The Communication Workers of America (CWA) are asking Mr. Stephenson to simply “maintain” the wage and benefit structure that allowed AT&T to reach the top 10 of the Fortune 500’s largest corporations last year (yet failed to make the Fortune top 100 companies to work for). AT&T also made Fortunes’ top 10 “most profitable” companies (and yet didn’t make the top 20 “most admired”).

Who was doing the work that took them to such lofty heights? Last time I looked there weren’t any suits climbing telephone poles! I’ve never seen a CEO working through the night to restore service during a flood, fires, snowstorms or earthquakes! When natural disasters hit it’s the workingmen and women who leave their families and work in harsh and dangerous conditions through the night to restore service to their fellow Americans, and we do so with pride and a sense of responsibility to our neighbors.

Support your AT&T worker so that we can bring back the values of corporate America and the working middle class. Don’t allow greedy CEO’s to continue to destroy American institutions, trades, and the American worker by lowering the bar to the lowest common denominator in order to fill their own pockets and the pockets of their wealthy friends on Wall Street.

We, the Communication Workers of America want to be the beacon of light that will lead the rest of American workers back to prosperity, a day when corporate CEO’s will once again value the American worker rather than despise them as nothing more than an unfortunate means to an end.

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6:30 pm - The company posted an update on its website saying that it had made a proposal increasing wages and pensions, but the CWA bargaining committe for District 6 said that after gutting the pensions by basing them on the Corporate Bond Rate rather than the GATT, the 1% increase the company was offering was less that what is currently in place. Similarly the small wage increase the company proposed is offset by the company proposed health care costs such that total compensation is less than what it is now. The company went on to compare us to the auto industry where the unions have been unfairly blamed for the financial problems. District 6 put out the following release in response.

CWA: AT&T Should Work with Us to Find Real Health Care Solutions

April 6, 2009

Washington, D.C. -- The Communications Workers of America rejects AT&T’s characterization of current contract negotiations. CWA is focused on helping middle class families, including nearly 100,000 workers and their families involved in this bargaining, hold the line against massive health care cost increases and AT&T’s actions that threaten quality jobs.

Incredibly, AT&T management is trying to draw a parallel between a successful and expanding telecommunications company and the U.S. auto industry, which for many reasons is not profitable. AT&T posted profits of $12.9 billion for 2008 and is on track for solid growth this year, top executives say.

AT&T can and should be a leader in supporting quality middle class jobs and benefits. That makes communities and our economy stronger. Instead, AT&T’s demands at a critical time in our country would only weaken the economy.

“AT&T must step up its leadership and continue to work with CWA and others who recognize that real health care reform is critical for our economy. Our nation is on the edge of critical changes in health care. To accomplish this, we need continued leadership from companies like AT&T, not efforts to obscure the issue,” said CWA President Larry Cohen.

“If AT&T wants to follow through with its auto industry comparison, let’s see a comparison of imported auto costs – where in every other country of origin there is universal health care, paid for with broad based public funding, not through production costs. That will give everyone a much clearer picture of the impact of our nation’s failure – until now – to move toward a health care system for all.

“We need national health care reform not only for the auto industry, but for our nation. We call on AT&T to continue its leadership and work with us on this effort,” Cohen said.

CWA members are working, for now, under the terms of the contracts that expired Apr. 4. Locations are:

AT&T East, Connecticut, and AT&T East Yellow Pages.
AT&T Midwest, in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin, and AT&T DataCom,
AT&T Southwest, in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
AT&T West, in California and Nevada.
AT&T Legacy, nationwide.

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04/05/09

6:20 pm - The bargaining report for Sunday follows along the same lines as the last few. Little progress to report and still far apart on issues. Stay tuned to plans for increased mobilization and any other news or events.

CWA/BARGAINING REPORT #33

April 5, 2009

This bargaining report is for Sunday, April 5, 2009. The CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committee met today, to continue negotiations. There is no significant progress to report and the committees agreed to meet on Monday, April 6, 2009 to continue negotiations. Major issues are still unresolved and the Company proposal to shift significant Health Care costs onto the backs of our members and their employees is still a major stumbling block to reaching an agreement. Numerous other issues that require attention are yet to be adequately addressed by AT&T.

STAY UNITED…………….STAY STRONG……and…………STAY TUNED-------

UNITED WE BARGAIN…………………………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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4:30 pm - Quite a few members gathered at the hall last night for the strike watch party. After eating the crowd began to make strike signs and get ready to walk the people that were currently working out of the buildings if we did go on strike. Obviously, we did not strike, yet, but we need to keep the preparations in place and ratchet up the intensity to win a fair and equitable contract.

Members listen as President Mark Tedford reads the announcement. From Strike Watch Party

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04/04/09

12:26 am - The official press release put out by District 6:

News from Communications Workers of America District 6
The Union for the Information Age

For Release Apr. 5, 2009, midnight CDT

Contact: Judy Graves, CWA District 6, 512-705-8181 (cell)

Contract Expires at AT&T Southwest
For Now, Those CWA Members Will Report to Work

Austin, Texas – The contract covering 30,200 workers represented by the Communications Workers of America at AT&T Southwest expired at midnight CDT, with many important issues – including employment security and health care -- not resolved. The contract will not be extended.

The AT&T Southwest bargaining covers CWA-represented workers in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

CWA members at AT&T Southwest will continue to report to work for now, although that can change at any time. Workers are keeping their option to strike open. For workers, the terms of the contract will remain in effect, meaning that wages, working conditions and benefits like health care will continue unchanged, with the exception of arbitration for grievances.

CWA has made it clear to AT&T that it is ready to bargain at any time to resolve the issues and negotiate quality contracts. Unfortunately, AT&T has shown little willingness to move forward and reach settlements. There has been little progress in the areas of health care, retirement security and employment security, among others.

“The CWA bargaining teams are very frustrated by AT&T’s slow pace in negotiations. Instead of working toward quality settlements that will benefit workers and the company, AT&T negotiators chose to drag out negotiations without a plan for settlement,” said CWA Executive Vice President Annie Hill.

“AT&T is very successful and profitable, even in these bad economic times. That makes it all the more difficult to understand why AT&T is demanding that workers take on even more health care costs than they already pay. This company takes care of executives and investors. It needs to set the right priorities and maintain quality jobs and quality benefits for workers,” Hill said.

CWA members at AT&T operations voted by an 88 percent yes vote to authorize a strike if a fair contract isn't reached. CWA represents about 125,000 workers covered by these contracts:

AT&T East, Connecticut, 5,000 and 300 AT&T East Yellow Pages workers. >p>AT&T Southeast, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, 37,000. (Contract expires Aug. 8)

AT&T Midwest, in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin, 20,000, and 500 AT&T DataCom workers.

AT&T Southwest, in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, 30,200.

AT&T West, in California and Nevada, 23,000.

AT&T Legacy, covering 10,000 workers nationwide.

###

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12:05 am - The contract deadline as passed and collectively CWA has elected to continue to work without a contract. This allows us to keep negotiating while keeping our people at work earning a paycheck. While the company pays us, it also has to pay to house all the replacement workers it told us so much about in the last few weeks. We must continue to keep the lines of communication open because we can strike at any point now...

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #32

April 5, 2009

While the Contract has expired, we continue to bargain and have the right to strike when we deem it necessary. We are still far apart on many issues.

We will need to increase our mobilization activities. A call will be scheduled to discuss these job actions. Wages, benefits and working conditions remain in effect.

You should report to work if scheduled.

Please continue to support your Bargaining Committee.

UNITED WE STAND..............DIVIDED WE FALL!

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8:36 pm - The latest report says little progress was made in negotiations yesterday. Meetings will continue up through the night until expiration. Keep checking the site for updates.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #31 April 4, 2009 The Union and Company Bargaining committees continued to meet yesterday, and today with little progress being made. The Union and the Company will continue to meet through this evening. We will not update this site until there is something definitive to report. Stay Strong and Stay United!!

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1:35 am - Thursday April 2nd was an national rally day as CWA locals across the country picketed and held rallies in front of AT&T buildings. Over 200 members of Local 6132 held a picket in front of the Huntland building on Thursday.

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04/03/09

3:23 pm - If you are not on a picket schedule and need to be or need to change the days that you are scheduled, contact Mobilization Coordinator, Neil Hawkes at 512-699-1231 or hawkes6132@hotmail.com

2:15 pm - The national Executive Board of CWA authorized a strike if an agreement is not reached by Saturday at 11:59 pm. According to the CWA strike process, the national President, Larry Cohen, still needs to set a date for the strike, if one is needed. So, at the watch party on Saturday night, we should get word on if we have an agreement, if we need to strike or we work without a contract. CWA's press release is included below.

CWA Executive Board Approves Strike Authorization at AT&T Southwest

April 3, 2009

Washington, D.C. – The executive board of the Communications Workers of America approved strike action if a fair contract cannot be reached in negotiations between CWA and AT&T Southwest. The action means that a strike could take place at any or all of the AT&T operations where contracts expire on Saturday night, Apr. 4, once the CWA president sets the strike dates.

The AT&T Southwest bargaining covers about 30,200 CWA-represented workers in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.

“Negotiations are continuing but we’re very far apart on a number of important issues. It’s time for management to get serious and step up the pace of bargaining if we’re going to reach an agreement at contract expiration,” said CWA District 6 Vice President Andy Milburn.

Overall, the negotiations cover 125,000 CWA represented workers covered by six contracts: AT&T East, AT&T Southeast, AT&T Midwest, AT&T Southwest, AT&T West and AT&T Legacy, a nationwide unit. Five contracts expire Saturday night, Apr. 4, the AT&T Southeast agreement expires Aug. 8.

CWA members had voted by 88 percent to give CWA leaders authorization to call a strike if quality contracts cannot be reached. The vote was a strong message of support for CWA’s bargaining teams. AT&T takes care of executives and investors and the company needs to meet its responsibilities to workers and retirees as well, CWA negotiators point out.

AT&T is a very successful and profitable company, even in these bad economic times. The company posted profits of $12.9 billion last year and AT&T executives have said it is on track for solid growth this year. AT&T should be a leader in helping turn the economy around and in providing good middle class jobs, not cutting jobs and benefits.

AT&T employees are very concerned about the company’s attempt to cut health care benefits by shifting even more costs to workers and to retirees on fixed incomes, and about access for workers to the “jobs of the future,” the new work created by changing technology.

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1:15 pm - We will be getting word of an agreement, a strike or working without a contract when the existing contract expires at 11:59pm on Saturday. The Local will be hosting a strike watch.

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04/02/09

11:51 pm - While yesterday's bargaining report indicated that there was some productive discussion for what seemed like the first time in these negotiations, today's report still shows the company and the union far apart on most of the key issues.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #30

April 2, 2009

This report is for Thursday, April 2, 2009. The C, H, and J Sub-Committees met this morning to continue negotiation. On Temporary Full Time Employees but Unfortunately, LITTLE PROGRESS TO REPORT!

With just two more full days till the Contract Expiration date, it is apparent that the Company has NO DESIRE to reach a FAIR and JUST CONTRACT!

LISTED BELOW ARE THE RETROGRESSIVE PROPOSALS THE COMPANY PRESENTED TO THE UNION THAT ARE STILL ON THE BARGAINING TABLE.

CWA BARGAINING COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT WE HAVE NOT AGREED TO ANY OF THESE PROPOSALS.

HEALTH CARE – This Company proposal creates a two tier structure for Health Care, one for new hires and one for current employees. Both plans have high premiums, deductibles and out of pocket costs that the current plan does not have.

THE COMPANY STILL REFUSED TO DISCUSS ANY PLANS FOR CURRENT RETIREE HEALTH CARE.

WAGES - Company proposal does not include an increase in base wages for the first two years.

PENSIONS – Pension Protection Act will be applied to Lump Sum Pensions, which eliminates the GATT Rate and applies the Corporate Bond Rate. This will reduce Lump Sum Pensions taken after January 1, 2010.

PREMISE TECHNICIANS - Company wants to increase work duties and have Premise Technicians perform work in a higher classification. Company refuses to treat Premises Technicians the same and apply the same work rules as other employees.

OVERTIME- increase assigned overtime above the current 9 and 12 hours.

OVERTIME- eliminate the assignment of overtime to volunteers first, SPECIFICALLY -- especially for double overtime.

LEVERAGED TITLES - This Company proposal would two tier Service Representative Work with 60/40 pay schedule which would put 40% of pay at risk based on sales. SALES PLAN CONTROLLED BY MANAGEMENT.

APPENDIX J PROPOSAL - From the Company applies to Premises Technicians and would no longer protect BENEFITS OR WORK RULES for those who took PT jobs due to surplus conditions. Worse in many ways then current Appendix J provisions.

Overtime for Premises Technicians - Would no longer include hours that were worked on a Sunday or Holiday where a premium pay applied. Those hours would not count toward the accumulation of 40 hours per week.

INFORMAL SURPLUS MOA – Company proposal does not include Appendix J Premises Technicians in this process.

APPENDIX D – ELIMINATE protection for Operator/Console Operation.

VACATION – ELIMINATE vacation carry-over.

FORCE ADJUSTMENT – Language would limit Force Adjustment to include only those employees who are actually at risk. No matching process for those employees who are in surplus group but not actually at risk.

NIGHT DIFFERENTIAL - Change to 9 pm to 6 am.

ILLNESS - All Employees will have at least one day of waiting before pay starts for illness.

PARTIAL SESSION - Eliminate payment for partial session illnesses.

HOLIDAY – Eliminate the day after Thanksgiving.

Eliminate coverage - Of expenses for future Retired Local Presidents to attend Joint Company/Union meetings. li>TEMPORARY FULL TIME (TFT’S) – CWA wants to have all TFT’s to remain on Payroll. We have been meeting in Sub-Committees for several weeks and still have not reached a resolution.

GRIEVANCES – MAJOR changes in current grievance contract language which allows only grievances that are subject to arbitration to be appealed to second step of the grievance procedure.

STOP THE CLOCK – stop the calculation on Grievant back pay during the time clock is stopped on grievances pending outcome of internal appeals.

UNPAID FMLA TIME OFF – Company will require substitution of contractual paid time off.

DELETE THE JOINT HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT COMMITTEE from the MOA on Strategic Alliance.

ON CALL – Expand On Call to any Work Group. If no volunteers Company could require employees to be On Call.

THE COMPANY HAS NOT AGREED TO UNION PROPOSALS TO EXTEND THE FOLLOWING MOA’S THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE 2009 AGREEMENT: CARD CHECK –NEUTRALITY AGREEMENT, SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TASK FORCE AGREEMENT, REVENUE MANAGEMENT REPRESENTIVE WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATION, OPERATOR SERVICES TASK FORCE, COMMUNICATION CONSULTANT JOINT LEADERSHIP FORUM, MONITORING, EXPEDITED ARBITRATION, HOMETOWN JOB SECURITY COMMITMENT, EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMITTMENT(Job Offer Guarantee ), EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY/ENCHANCED RETIREMENT BENEFIT, EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES, PRESIDENTS COUNCIL.

COST OF LIVING – Company has not responded to Union’s proposals to extend the cost of living allowance.

TEAM PEFROMANCE AWARD - Company has not responded to Union Proposal on the Team Performance Award.

NATIONAL TRANSFER PLAN – Company has not responded.

MOVEMENT OF WORK/CONTRACTING OUT - Company has rejected.

AT&T has informed CWA that they plan to give the CWA Bargaining Committee their final bargaining package on Friday, April 3, 2009. The current contract expires at midnight April 4, 2009, and we are still Far, Far, Far apart on all MAJOR ISSUES.

GREAT JOB AT THE, “Practice Makes Perfect Rallies!”

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST AND GREATEST PICTURES FROM OUR RALLIES AND INFORMATIONAL PICKET LINES!

“NO CONTRACT --- NO PEACE”

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!

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3:55 pm - As alluded to earlier, the company has been posting notices that seem like proposals have been "passed" on their bargaining reports. It had gotten so bad that bloggers and reporters have contacted CWA regarding the fictional agreements.

CWA, AT&T disagree on use of "passed" in April 1 contract negotiations

April 2, 2009 — 4:01pm ET | By Doug Mohney

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) is not pleased over the use of the word "passed" in reported AT&T comments on the status of contract negotiations. Union officials are concerned that members may be misled into thinking that a contract agreement has been reached. (more...)

It seems more than conincidental that AT&T might use this misleading verbage on a day when CWA locals across the country are scheduled to hold informational pickets. Perhaps the company doesn't want the full CWA contingent on the picket lines today and might be hoping for some misinterpretation out there....

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2:10pm - There has been a lot of rumors flying around today about the state of negotiations. There is no tentative agreement, there is no agreement on wages or health care. When we get a report from the bargaining committee it will be posted here. The picket is still scheduled for 4:30pm this after noon. The latest report from the bargaining committee is posted below. It shows some productive discussion for a change, but no agreements have been made.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #29

April 2, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Wednesday, April 1, 2009. Sub Committee representing Appendix C, H, and J met this morning to continue negotiations. Some lengthy discussions took place in regards to the Temporary Full Time Employees (TFT’s). Both parties agreed to continue negotiations tomorrow morning.

CWA and AT&T Full Committees continued negotiations in the afternoon. The Company presented the following bargaining proposals, Union Leave of Absence, Former Temporary Employees, Force Adjustment, Good Jobs In 8 and Global Positioning System.

The CWA Bargaining Committee did an EXCEPTIONAL job in presenting critical information pertaining to the importance of the Appendix J Bargaining Proposals. Both parties entered into healthy dialogue pertaining to Premise Technicians. No movement to report!

The Union presented a Counter Proposal on Health Care. The Company said they would look at the Union’s Health Care Proposal!

E V E R Y M E M B E R M U S T PA R T I C I P A T E I N O U R
“P R A C T I C E M A K E S P E R F E C T” INFORMATIONAL PICKETS LINES APRIL 2, 2009!!!!

LET’S STAND UNITED AND STAND STRONG-SHOULDER TO SHOULDER!

AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!

UNITED WE BARGAIN……………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!

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04/01/09

9:30pm - K-EYE 42 did a peice on the contract negotiations between CWA and AT&T for the 6:00pm news. After interviewing some CWA members, the reporter wrote the following blurb on the news website.

Austin-Area AT&T Workers Could Walk Off Job This Weekend

CBS 42 Reporter: Rebecca Taylor

About 1,000 local AT&T workers could walk off the job and onto the picket lines if a new contract isn’t reached by this weekend.

“There’s no one that wants to go on strike; we all love our job,” said Jeff Warden, who’s worked for AT&T for nine years. “But there comes a time you feel you have to stand up for what is right.” (more...)

The accompanying video for the news story can be accessed on the K-EYE website

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5:05 pm - During a union day at the Huntland Building members picked up boxes to pack all their personal belongings in as a preparation for a possible strike.

From Drop Box

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4:10pm The following press release was sent to the media about the upcoming rally at Huntland. Click image for a full sized version.

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3:30 pm The bargaining report for today show little movement and the company still putting forth retrogressive proposals and not supplying information previously requested. It is inexcusable that AT&T is still using its same tactics this late into negotiations.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #28

April 1, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Tuesday, March 31, 2009. Sub-Committees representing Appendix C, H and J met this morning to discuss Temporary Full Time Employees (TFT’S) with NO PROGRESS TO REPORT.

Negotiations continued between CWA and AT&T this afternoon. The Company started off by stating that the Health Care information that the Union requested is being given priority consideration and that they realize the reason we need this information. Premise Technicians and Leveraged Titles were also discussed. The Union once again rejected the Company’s Leveraged Title position. The Union stated that the Company would be able to change the qualifiers, and over time eliminate Service Representative positions; change current sales incentives and this title would not be protected by the Service Representative Task Force Agreement not to mention a 60/40 pay schedule. The Bargaining Committee believes this drives the wrong type of behavior for bargaining unit employees and managers.

The Company reviewed the proposals that we presented yesterday. Listed below are some of the proposals the Company rejected, Overtime, Hours of Work, Funerals, Training/Retraining, FMLA, Holiday and Grievances.

As for Health Care the Union stated again that we are not interested in a TWO TIER Benefit Plan and that the Company’s current proposal is less than what we have today.

With only a few days left to Bargain we need to make sure the COMPANY understands our POSITION, “NO CONTRACT NO PEACE!”

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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03/31/09

1:08 pm - The bargaining report from yesterday shows mobilization efforst have made an impact but the company is still not providing information requested by the union.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #27

March 31, 2009

This bargaining report is for Monday, March 30, 2009. The CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committees met today to continue negotiations. The Union, once again requested the status of the Health Care information, which we had requested over two weeks ago. The Company stated they did not have anything for us today. The Union asked numerous questions pertaining to the Health Care coverage.

The Union also presented the Company with numerous bundled proposals pertaining to Assigned Overtime, On Call Duty, Illness, Training/Retraining and FMLA Leave. CWA hopeful that this will initiate movement on the Company' side. We won’t hold our Breath! Discussions also took place on Appendix I and J.

The Union also presented COUNTER proposals on Floating Holidays, Grievances, Appendix D Supplement, Vacation Portability and Vacation Carryover.

ON A POSITIVE NOTE: MOBILIZATION IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH----WE SURPASSED OUR GOAL AND VISITED CLOSE TO TWO HUNDRED (200) AT&T AGENT/RESELLER STORES THIS SATURDAY!!!!! THAT WAS AWESOME----GREAT JOB!!!!!!!

UNITED WE BARGAIN..................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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12:35 pm - The District put out the folloiwng flyer as a letter to the CEO of AT&T:

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03/30/09

1:05 pm - Because of a lack of movement from AT&T's bargaining team, over 200 members of CWA Local 6132 staged a rally/informational picket at the location where CWA and AT&T have been negotiating. The picket definately made an impact and we will be planning another one in the near future. Members should check their email or call the hall for time and location of the rally.

From Informational Picket 3/26/09

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9:45 am - The bargaining reports from Friday and Saturday show little movement from the company as the contract expiration deadline comes nearer.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #26

March 28, 2009

This brgaining report is for Saturday, March 28, 2009. The CWA & AT&T Bargaining Committee met this morning to continue negotiations. The Union presented the Company with proposals on Team Performance, Capping the number of Temporary Full Time Employees, Cost of Living Allowance, Tuition Aid Policy, Temporary Work in a Higher Position and Improvements for Appendix I.

In an attempt to avoid ANY future misunderstandings, the Union Bargaining Committee reviewed their position on ALL Company Proposals. In regards to any wage proposal offered by the Company, the Union pointed out that, “AT&T is a Safe Harbor even in BAD times for Investors and if the AT&T investors aren’t taking any hits NEITHER should our MEMBERS!”

Hours of Work, Improved Travel, Training Retraining, Tuition Aid Policy, Bridging of Service, which contains language that allows employees to keep their service regardless of where they transfer, is also important. AT&T is ONE BIG COMPANY and employees should not be penalized when they transfer. Appendix J, Motor Vehicle Usage Program, GPS, Good Jobs in Eight, ACST’s, Improved Force Adjustment and Severance Payment language were also discussed. The Company is CONTRACTING OUT WAY TOO MUCH WORK---as the Company grows CWA SHOULD ALSO GROW!

A lengthy discussion took place pertaining to the Memorandum of Agreement on MONITORING. Leveraged Titles were also discussed.

With one week left to Bargain----We must STEP UP OUR Mobilization Activities and NOT SLOW DOWN!!! LET THE COMPANY KNOW, “WE MEAN BUSINESS!”

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!

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CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #25

March 28, 2009

This report is for Friday, March 27, 2008. Both Union Sub-Committees met with the Company to continue negotiations. Although, lengthy talks took place, “NO PROGRESS” was reported from both A, B, D, I, C, H and J Sub-Committees.

In the afternoon, CWA & AT&T Full Committee negotiations continued; however, it came to a QUICK HALT after the Company presented a NOTEBOOK of Proposals FULL OF TAKEBACKS and SUB-STANDARD CONTRACT LANGUAGE. To add INSULT TO INJURY, when the Union asked the Company about FUTURE Retiree Health Care the Company stated that they would go to a Modified Custom Care Coverage, which also consists of Higher Premiums, Deductibles and Out of Pocket Expenses.

The meeting ended abruptly when the Union Committee Chair was SO INSULTED by the Company’s Proposals he GOT UP AN WALKED OUT telling the Company they are not LISTENING TO A WORD BEING SAID!

Negotiations are scheduled to continue tomorrow.

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!

“LET’S LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD AND ORGANIZE ALL AT&T RESELLER AND AGENT STORES. WE WILL START ON SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2009 AND CONTINUE UNTIL WE HAVE ORGANIZED 100% OF THESE STORES! EVERY MEMBER IS ENCOURAGED TO JOIN US IN OUR EFFORTS!!!!!”

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8:45 AM - The bargaining report from Wednesday show little movement but lists all the retrogressive proposals the company is trying to get implemented.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #24

March 27, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Thursday, March 26, 2009. The AT&T and CWA Bargaining Committees met this morning to continue negotiations. The Union requested the status on Military Leave data as well as the pending Health Care information request. The Company responded, “They were working on that.” The Company provided answers to the numerous questions the Union had pertaining to the new web based transfer plan, “TALEO”.

The Union also presented the Company with a Memorandum of Agreement on Evolving Technologies. CWA rejected the Company’s proposals on Force Adjustment and Night Differentials..

AT&T has loaded the bargaining table with take backs and retrogressive proposals. They have not provided CWA with a copy of the Bargaining Data that we requested and have forced us to review the information at the Bargaining Table.

Listed below are SOME of the Company’s retrogressive proposals that are on the Bargaining Table:

Health Care, increases for active employees in premiums, out of pocket costs and deductibles.

Two Tier Structure on Health Care for New Hires and Current Employees. It will be a Three Tier Structure on Health Care since the Company is refusing to bargain on RETIREES.

Company wants to increase work duties and have Premise Technicians perform work in a higher classification. Temporary Full Time (TFT’S) CWA wants to have all TEMPORARIES remain on Payroll. We have been meeting in Sub-Committees for several weeks and have not reached a resolution.

AT&T wants a 60/40 Leveraged Title which would mean 40% of pay at risk based on sales.

PPA applied to Lump Sum Pensions which eliminates the GATT Rate and applies the Corporate Bond Rate. This will reduce lump sum pensions taken after January 1, 2010.

The Company has not presented proposals on wages as of yet.

Proposals to Limit Force Adjustment to include only those at risk employees.

Proposals to change Night Differential to 9 pm- 6am.

Eliminate expenses for future Retired Local Presidents to attend joint Company Union meetings.

Major changes in current Grievance contract language which would allow only grievances that are Arbitrable to be appealed to second step.

Delete Joint Health Care Cost Containment Committee.

Remove protections from Appendix J. Reduce overtime in Appendix J. Overall the Company’s proposals for Appendix J are WORSE than current language

Increase Assigned overtime above the current 9 and 12 hours.

All Employees will have at least one day of waiting before pay starts for illness.

Delete Sunday Work

Expand On Call to any Work Group

Eliminate Day after Thanksgiving Holiday

Eliminate Vacation Carry Over

Eliminate Assignment of Overtime to Volunteers first

Stop the Calculation on Grievants back pay during time clock is stopped.

FMLA Time Off, Company can substitute contractual paid time

Eliminate payment for partial sessions of illness

With only EIGHT days left to Bargain the Union told the Company THEY ARE NOT taking the Union’s Proposals seriously and are dragging out the Bargaining Process!!!!

LET’S TELL THE COMPANY IT’S TIME TO GET RID OF CORPORATE GREED AND GET DOWN TO BUSINESS!!!!!

“NO CONTRACT NO PEACE”

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………..
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!

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03/25/09

11:53 am - As part of the mobilizing activity that is going on, CWA is asking all members working for AT&T to vote thier proxy in unison and sent them all in. Instructions on the CWA national site are included below.

Vote your AT&T proxy

AT&T issued its annual proxy on March 11, 2009. If you are an AT&T shareholder, your proxy should be arriving by postal mail or e-mail shortly. Note that if you vote by phone or online, CWA cannot deliver your proxy.

To have the union deliver your proxy to AT&T:

If you received only a "notice of annual meeting" without a ballot and return envelope, or haven't received anything:

You must request a paper ballot. Requests must be received by April 14th. (But the sooner the better.)

Request your ballot:

By phone:

Call 1-866-641-4276

At the end of the call, the automated system will ask if you would like to have future materials sent electronically - say NO so that you'll get a paper ballot next year.

By e-mail:

Send an email message to investorvote@cxomputershare.com
Subject line: "Proxy Materials Order"
Body of the message, your full name and address and the three numbers in the shaded bar

When you receive your paper ballot in the mail, follow the steps below.

If you received a paper proxy:

Vote your proxy ballot by placing an "X" in the For, Against, or Abstain box for each proposal. CWA recommends voting FOR proposals 4-9.

Sign and date the card where indicated.

Give the proxy card and return envelope to your local.

CWA will be collecting and delivering voted proxies to the company. CWA is not asking for discretionary authority to vote proxies on behalf of its members. Please make sure you vote and sign your proxy.

It is important that the proxy cards be returned to the local so they can all be sent in together.

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10:15 am - AT&T has been honored as one of America's Top Corporations for women-owned businesses. AT&T recieved the honor because it does business with and buys supplies from a high number of women owned businesses. Evidently, the company is much nicer to women that own a business as opposed to those that work for one. In its bargaining proposals, AT&T has attempted make women who take FMLA for a sick child burn a vacation day, they have tried to strip away many of the women-friendly worker protections in the Service Rep Task force agreements and have attempted to cut the pay of working mothers by installing a leveraged pay system for Service Representatives. Guess the corporations support of women is only for those in the upper levels of income.

AT&T Honored as one of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises

AT&T Recognized as a Leader for Including Diverse Suppliers in its Supply Chain, by Women Business Enterprise National Council and the Telecommunications Industry Group's DiversityNxt

DALLAS, March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AT&T* announced today that the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation's leading advocate of women-owned businesses as suppliers to America's corporations, has named AT&T as one of America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises (WBEs). (more...)

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03/25/09

4:52 pm - The bargaining Report for today centered around Prem Techs and retirees and how the company doesn't seem to consider them important.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #23

March 25, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Wednesday, March 25, 2009. The CWA & AT&T Bargaining Committees met this morning to continue negotiations. Major discussions were held in regards to our Premise Technicians and RETIREES. The Bargaining Committee will work the remainder of the day reviewing Company Proposals and working on other Bargaining items. The Company does not seem to take these CRITICAL issues SERIOUSLY! Let your VOICE be HEARD in the WORKPLACE and LET the Company know you SUPPORT your Bargaining Committee!

RED THURSDAY----------LET'S HAVE A SEA OF RED TOMORROW....

UNITED WE BARGAIN-----------
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---

4:41 pm - Nationwide, a decisive 88% of CWA members working at AT&T voted in favor of a strike if needed. Bargaining is still going on and the 6 contracts that are being negotiated right now are not set to expire until April 4th, but the membership has clearly shown AT&T that they are serious about their jobs and their future. The strike vote results were released by CWA headquarters in the following press release.

Employees Tell AT&T: Keep Your Commitment to Employees and Retirees

March 23, 2009

Contact: Candice Johnson, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, cjohnson@cwa-union.org

Washington, D.C. – AT&T employees, members of the Communications Workers of America, sent the company a strong message by voting overwhelmingly to authorize a strike if negotiations fail to produce quality contracts.

The vote also sent a strong message of support to CWA bargaining teams. CWA negotiators are pressing AT&T to do its part to help the struggling economy and support the middle class, not cut benefits and jobs.

AT&T employees are very concerned about the company's attempt to cut health care benefits by shifting even more costs to employees and retirees, and about access for employees to the "jobs of the future," the new work created by changing technology. AT&T employees note that the company has been looking out for executives and investors and needs to also look out for the employees who make it successful.

AT&T is a very successful and profitable company, even in these bad economic times. AT&T posted profits of $12.9 billion last year and AT&T executives have said the company will continue to grow this year. Given this profitability, AT&T should be a leader in helping turn the economy around and in providing good middle class jobs. There's no reason to hurt employees by cutting jobs and benefits.

Contract negotiations currently are continuing for new contracts covering about 125,000 CWA-represented employees at these AT&T operations. AT&T East (formerly SNET), AT&T Southeast (formerly BellSouth), AT&T Midwest (formerly Ameritech), AT&T Southwest, AT&T West (formerly PacBell) in Pleasanton, Calif., and AT&T Legacy, a nationwide unit. The contracts, with the exception of AT&T Southeast, expire Apr. 4. The AT&T Southeast agreement expires Aug. 6 but early negotiations are underway.

CWA reported that, overall, 88 percent of voting AT&T members voted in favor of strike authorization in balloting conducted by CWA local unions whose members are covered by six separate contracts. A strike at any or all of the AT&T operations would not take place before it is authorized by the union's executive board and a strike date set.

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4:16 pm - Many members from CWA 6132 attended the Health Care Rally at the AT&T Headquarters in Dallas last week. This is a video taken from the 3rd floor of an apartment building across the street from AT&T Headquarters. We are working on getting pictures from our contingent that went to Dallas so we can post them here as well.

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4:05 pm - A labor friendly radio station in Houston visited the Houston CWA hall and posted the following account.

CWA & AT&T Face Off in Houston

March 25, 2009

Click the link below to hear the audio:

http://www.laborradio.org/files/winfeatCWAHouston032309.mp3

In the downtown hub of one of the nation’s largest epicenters, Houston Texas, a sea of red shirts flooded the local office of CWA 6222 Thursday night as talks with AT&T fail to move forward. Rachel Clarke has the story:

Over 500 workers and their supporters came out in force. Supporters like Texas Representative Sylvester Turner

[Turner]: "Tonight you are not asking for a 747, you are not asking for a jet, you are not asking for a sofa, you are not asking for a mansion, all you are asking for is a little dignity and a little respect." Negotiations have been under way since late February appear to be going nowhere. The biggest sticking point? Healthcare. CWA Local 622 Vice President James Henry spells it out:

[Henry]: You know how much it took to take care of our healthcare out of $124 billion? About $4 billion so they had $120 billion left. AT&T contends they can’t continue to pay out current worker benefits in the face of a faltering economy. “Not true” says Vice President Steve Flores.

[Flores]: The guy complaining that we make too much and that our health insurance policy is too much makes $1.5 million every 25 days. Every 25 days he makes $1.5 million for what you and I and the rest of us do. This will not be the first time in recent history CWA workers have walked off the job.

The Communications Workers of America continue their red shirt Thursday and their black shirt Friday to show a united front against the communications giant. In retaliation AT&T has threatened to lock workers out at certain locations on the eve of the current contract’s expiration on April 4. The Communications Workers of America have filed unfair labor practice charges against AT&T for its current conduct during bargaining. They urge workers to stay strong.

For more labor news every business day, go to www.laborradio.org.

Ken Pfile

Union Outreach Coordinator

Workers Independent News

608-251-6125

ken@laborradio.org

www.LaborRadio.org

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3:57 - Tuesday's bargaining report shows little movement from either side. CWA pointed out that if if AT&T joined CWA in campaigning for National Health Care coverage it could save the company $1 billion a year.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #22

March 25, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Tuesday, March 24, 2009. Sub-Committees for Appendix A, B, D and I continued negotiations this morning. CWA reviewed status of proposals in each Appendix and notified the Company that we were holding our position for Upgrades in these Appendices and on the proposals to extend the Service Representative Task Force Agreement, Communication Consultant Leadership Forum, Revenue Management Representative Working Group and the Operator Services Task Force Recommendations. After discussion by both parties there is no progress to report.

During the Full Committee Bargaining Session, the Company presented the Union with proposals on Force Adjustment and Night Differential. The Union requested an updated status on pertinent information that had been requested previously. The Company responded and was forthcoming with the information.

CWA presented the Company with the following proposals CWA/AT&T Presidents Council and CWA/AT&T National Health Care Reform. The Union explained the National Health Care Reform proposal was an invitation for AT&T to join CWA in their effort to call lawmakers to pass Legislation to secure National Health Care Coverage. CWA stated that passage of this legislation would save AT&T approximately One Billion Dollars each year!

Negotiations are scheduled to continue at 9:30 am tomorrow.

Let’s Continue our Mobilization Activites----
RED THURSDAY’S

BLACK FRIDAY’S

UNITED WE BARGAIN…………………………..
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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2:30 pm - Monday's bargaining report shows that when the company is discussing its financial outlook, the company is telling the union one thing and telling investors another.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #21

March 24, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Monday, March 23, 2009. Sub-Committees for Appendix C, H and J met this morning to continue Bargaining. Discussions were held pertaining to Temporary Full Time Employees, however, NO PROGRESS to report.

This afternoon the Full Committee Bargaining Session began by the Company presenting a packet of information pertaining to Benefits.

As stated in Friday’s Bargaining Report the Company provided the “Wireline Trends and Outlooks” overview which was the Company’s outlook for Wireline’s future. Today, the Union presented the Company with some of the statistics contained in the “AT&T Investor Update” which was a document used for the Fourth Quarter Earnings Conference Call with Shareholders that took place on January 28, 2009. AT&T’s earnings per share were up from $1.94 in 2007 to $2.16 per share in 2009. AT&T’s Revenues for 2007 were $119.9 BILLION and in 2008 were $124.0 BILLION. Total adjusted consolidated revenues grew 3.4% for the full year, up 2.2% in the Fourth Quarter with 14.2% growth in Wireline IP data revenues, which include business services and AT&T U-verse services. The Company also reported, “These drivers more than offset expected pressures in Wireline voice.” As for U-verse the Company report, “Strong sales trends, operational progress and new service features drive mass-market success story. AT&T'S projection is that U-verse will be a Multibillion-dollar revenue opportunity during next few years.” As for AT&T’s Cash Flow for 2008 was $13.3 BILLION with cash returned to Shareowners at $15.6 BILLION!!!!

For the Company to come to the Bargaining Table and present an overview that tells Less than the Truth and HALF of the STORY is DISRESPECTFUL and INSULTING to our MEMBERS!!!! THE UNION STATED THAT THE COMPANY HAS NO REASON TO OVER REACH AND TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES based on their very own statistics—AT&T is POISED for the future and is the Most Profitable Telecom in the United States!

The Union asked the Company if they had changed their position on RETIREES. The Company was quick to respond, “NO they have not!”

The Union REJECTED the Leveraged Title Proposal taking the position that it drives the WRONG behavior. The Union further stated that Service Representatives do an excellent job in sales. The Company stated they needed a title to motivate a Service Representative to Sell. The Union recommended, that being the case to increase the SMITS POINTS!!!

AN INJURY TO ONE…….IS AN INJURY TO ALL

DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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03/20/09

11:00 pm - Friday's bargaining saw many proposals put forth by the company and the union.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #20

March 20, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Friday, March 20, 2009. CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committees met this morning to continue discussions on Health Care, Temporary Full Time Employees, and Premise Technicians. The Company provided an overview on “Wireline Trends and Outlooks” which provided the corporate outlook for wireline’s future. Throughout the entire presentation the Company focused on the decline of wireline customers; however, they failed to mention the tremendous growth in wireless.

During the afternoon session, the Company presented an overview of the “Consumer Rep Sales Compensation Plan Executive Summary” which provides additional information on the compensation for their Leveraged Title Proposal. The Company also presented the following proposals: Motor Vehicle Usage Program, Service Leader, Military Leave of Absence for Executive Order, Retired Local Presidents’ Expenses and Leveraged Title.

The Union presented the Company with a proposal requesting to extend the following supplemental statements and agreements contained in the 2004 Settlement Agreement for the life of the 2009 Labor Agreements: PAYSOP, Company prints Agreements and Summary Plan Descriptions and distributes to Employees, Basis of Compensation, Night Differential, Tight Labor Market Wage Credit, Cost of Living Allowance, Night Tours, Assigned Overtime. The Company agrees to continue to make available vacation weeks/days originally offered, but not selected in the initial or subsequent interview, or selected but vacated during the vacation year. Vacated Weeks made Available, Vacation Buy Out when employee retires, Same Day Temporary Assignment, Severance Payments, and Appendix D is supplemented dealing with Surplus employees who are assigned to Operator, Service Assistant, and Central Office Clerk, Agreement of General Application, Prohibition of Decision Making Leaves (DML’s), Dismissals of Service Representatives, Annual Letter signed by the Vice President of Labor Relations, Senior Manager will notify CWA leadership at least thirty (30) days in advance of contracting, Ad-hoc Committee on Contracting Out and Successorship in any exchange sale. The Union also REJECTED the Company’s Appendix J Proposal. The Company has not shown any sincere interest in attempting to reach a FAIR AND JUST CONTRACT.

The Union told the Company that they were sending the WRONG MESSAGE to our members by compensating AT&T’s CEO at the RIDICULOUSLY high rates and at the same time come to the Bargaining Table with Unacceptable Proposals consisting of Substandard Health Care Coverage and TAKE BACKS, then try to justify their actions by stating that they can not AFFORD to continue this trend and remain competitive. The Union was quick to remind the Company that if it weren’t for the OUTSTANDING JOB that our MEMBERS perform day in and day out the Company would not have the MONEY to pay Randall Stephenson------NOW IT IS TIME FOR THE COMPANY TO GET SERIOUS AND REWARD THEIR EMPLOYEES WITH A FAIR CONTRACT!!!

GREAT JOB AT THE RALLY!!!!!!!

“ OUT WITH RANDALL------BRING BACK ED”

O N E U N I O N - - - O N E F I G H T

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………….
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!

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10:27 pm - Thursday's bargaining report covered health care, TFT's and the leveraged pay proposal made previously by the company.

AT&T Bargaining Report #19

March 20, 2009

This report is for Thursday, March 19, 2009. The CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committees met this morning to discuss issues and concerns pertaining to Health Care Coverage. The Company provided the Union with some documentation pertaining to Temporary Full Time employees. After a lengthy question and answer discussion, both parties agreed to meet tomorrow to continue discussions.

In the afternoon, both parties reconvened for a presentation on "TALEO" which is a new web based transfer plan program the Company is considering implementing.

UNITED WE BARGAIN..............................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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03/19/09

12:27 pm - The national has put out the first of what will be a weekly bargaining newsletter:

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10:15 - The bargaining report from Wednesday shows the company and the union coming to a tentative agreement on some minor proposals, but money over people is still the company's driving concern.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #18

March 19, 2009

The CWA & AT&T Bargaining Committee met today, (March 18, 2009) to continue negotiations. The Company presented the Union with the following proposals: Grievances, CWA Internal Appeal Process, Strategic Alliance, CWA Benefit Representative and Facilities Locate Work. The Union will review proposals and respond accordingly.

Discussions continued on Health Care and Premise Technicians concerns. The Union rejected the Company’s proposal on Health Care. TENTATIVE Agreements were reached on Recovery of Wage Overpayments, Net Credited Service Tie Breaker and Statement of Renewed Commitment.

Progress is extremely slow at the Bargaining Table. The Company’s number one concern is MONEY……with NO REGARD to the EMPLOYEES who generate this MONEY and the RETIREES who BUILT THIS COMPANY!

RED THURSDAYS AND BLACK FRIDAY

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03/18/09

1:09 pm - Bargaining on Tuesday was centered around appendicies and Temporary Full Time Workers.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #17

March 17, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Tuesday, March 17, 2009. The C, H and J Sub Committee met today to discuss Temporary Full Time Employees. (TFT's) The Company provided the Union with some of the information pertaining to contractors. After a lengthy discussion, the Union Committee agreed to review the documentation, and bargaining is scheduled to continue tomorrow.

The Full Committees met this afternoon. The Union presented the Company with numerous proposals requesting to extend certain existing MOA's. Bargaining is scheduled to continue tomorrow.

UNITED WE BARGAIN....................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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1:02 pm - The bargaining report for Monday was about appendix I and retiree benefits. The bargaining team provided a company email address asking all members to send the company a message on its bargaining website and let them know we are serious about our proposals.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #16

March 17, 2009

This Bargaining report is for Monday, March 16, 2009. CWA and AT&T Sub Committee for Appendix A, B, D and I met today to continue negotiations. The CWA Sub Committee presented the Company with supporting information to substantiate the Union’s Proposal requesting to Upgrade Appendix I.

In the afternoon, CWA and AT&T continued negotiations in Full Committee. The Union rejected numerous Company proposals and placed others on hold. The Company has committed to have responses to some of the Union proposals by Wednesday, March 18, 2009. The CWA Bargaining Committee closed this session by stating, "We are very serious about our Retiree Health Care. This is a MAJOR issue!" The Company’s response remained the same, "We have already stated our position as well.”

It is extremely important that every member send questions to the Company's Website Address:

www.att.com/corebargaining

You may want to ask them when they plan to get serious at the Bargaining Table or when will they start taking our Union Proposals serious.

UNITED WE BARGAIN....................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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03/16/09

6:09 pm - The bargaining committee met with the company over the weekend. The company keeps pushing a substandard health care package and seems to think that the CWA members don't care enough about health care to stand up to it. Everyone needs to let the company know that health care is a critical issue for us.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #15

March 16, 2009

This Bargaining Report is for Saturday, March 14, 2009. The Company and the Union met today to discuss the Company's Health Care Proposal. After the presentation provided by the Company it was CRYSTAL CLEAR that the Company just doesn't understand how important Health Care is to our members.

LET'S UNITE AND DEMAND A FAIR CONTRACT!!!!!!!!

UNITED WE BARGAIN....................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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10:28 am - AT&T inexplicably announced last June that it was going to pick up its headquarters in San Antonio and move up to Dallas. The company claimed that it wanted to move to Dallas to take advantage of the international airport, but that reason did not seem to justify the cost that a move to Dallas would entail, especially given the economic situation at the time. Nevertheless, AT&T made the move to Dallas and paid all the expenses that such a move entailed.

Fast forward 9 months and we see AT&T at the bargaining table complaining that employee benefits are too costly. The company didn't seem to have a problem paying for an expensive, unnecessary move but it can't seem to find enough money in its coffers to adequately compensate the people who make the $12.9 billion in profits possible. In fact, while the company is claiming poverty at the bargaining table, they are still paying for upper management's unsold luxury mansions in San Antonio. The San Antonio Express reports that:

The company’s relocation to Dallas hasn’t been cheap. It likely will lose money on the sale of Stephenson’s former home. While the company paid $1.7 million, the home had a list price Thursday of $1.5 million, down from an August list price of $1.6 million. AT&T also paid $141,618 to transfer Stephenson to Dallas and nearly $264,000 to move three other top executives, including moving costs, house hunting fees and temporary living expenses, a moving allowance and closing costs on the purchase of a home in the Dallas area, according to regulatory filings. (full article)

While the company is asking us to "be responsible" by agreeing to take on much of our health care costs, one has to wonder where that "responsibility" was when deciding to make an such an expensive move during rough economic times. A move that the company is still incurring costs for.

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03/13/09

7:37 pm - The bargaining report from today shows the company going after lump sum pensions.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #14

This bargaining report is for March 13, 2009. The Company and Union met today continue bargaining.

The Company presented its Pension Proposal along with a change to their earlier Health Care Proposal.

Effective January 1, 2010, Lump Sum Pension accrual would cease and any Pension Benefits accrued after January 1 2010, could be taken only in a monthly annuity.

Lump Sum Pensions taken after January 1, 2010, and accrued prior to January 1, 2010, would be calculated using the Pension Protection Act which would reduce Lump Sum Pension amounts.

The Health Care plan is being reviewed by the Bargaining Committee and will be discussed further with the Company on Saturday morning.

CWA indicated to the Company that they were over reaching and that these proposals were AN INSULT TO EVERY BARGAING UNIT EMPLOYEE.

UNITED WE BARGAIN....................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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2:05 pm - The Associated Press has picked up an article about negotiations between CWA and AT&T. Similar to all the news coverage of the failing auto industry, the article seems to imply that CWA members' health care is bringing the company down. The article ignores the fact that AT&T made an industry leading $12.9 billion in profit last year after paying the health care that is "too expensive." The article bases alot of its information on a financial analyst who has talked to AT&T management.

After talking to [AT&T] management, UBS analyst John Hodulik wrote last week that a strike is likely, but that the company would come out on top. Management employees have received extensive training to keep the company running if there is a strike, he said, and AT&T could reap large savings on its health care costs. AT&T spends $5.5 billion a year on health care; its 2008 revenue was $124 billion.

At the Communications Workers of America, spokeswoman Candice Johnson said the analyst's report was "way premature" since talks have just started.

"We are focused on productive talks," she said. "We're not talking publicly about issues at this time, but AT&T is doing well financially, even in these economic times. AT&T should be a leader in maintaining quality jobs and quality benefits."

Evidently AT&T has been selling its investors on the fact that it will be able to generate more revenue by making CWA members pay more for thier health care. It has also, evidently, been playing up the notion of a strike and the preparation of its "extensively trained" managers.

CWA is only interested in maintaining good jobs and quality benefits. AT&T is one of the industry leaders in profitability and it can afford to compensate those who have made those profits possible. With the economic crisis that is taking place in our country, AT&T, as one of Fortune magazines "Most Admired Companies," needs to lead by example and keep treating its workforce as an investment rather than a burden.

In spite of what the company seems to be telling investors, a strike is by no means a forgone conclusion this early in negotiations. We are prepared if the company forces us into a strike, but we would much rather reach an agreement and be a model for other employers and employees in these troubled economic times.

Read the full AP article here.

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11:25 am - NOTICE: Because of the number of people in attendance at last nights union meeting, the membership voted to have the next meeting at the Texas AFL-CIO building on 11th and Lavaca. That building has a larger meeting room that can accommodate the crowds we are having at our membership meetings.

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10:57 - As President Mark Tedford emphasized in the Membership meeting last night, the company is taking a though stance in negotiations and one of the reasons they are able to use that tactic is the decline of unionization in America. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) has been supported by CWA from its very beginning because it will facilitate the process of joining a union. With more unions in America, we won't have companies like AT&T thinking they can easily take away the benefits that unions have fought for.

The EFCA has hit the floor in both the House and the Senate this week and its opponents have used it as an opportunity to attack not only the bill, but to attack unions in general with a campaign of misinformation and outright lies. With a majority if our membership in contract negotiations and the possibility of a strike looming large on the horizon, it will be crucial for CWA to inform the public about what EFCA really is and what unions do.

The folowing is a segment from the Rachel Maddow show that does a good job of explaining what the EFCA is and shows the unusual fevor of its opponents.

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8:45 am - Thursday's bargaining report sees the more negotiations on specifice titles and the union questioning if the company bargaining chair actually had the authority to settle a contract.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #13

March 12, 2009

This report is for Thursday, March 12, 2009. Both Subcommittees met this morning to continue bargaining. Discussions continued pertaining to Upgrades, MOA's, Temporary/Full Time Employees and Premise Technicians. Unfortunately, there is no progress to report.

This afternoon, CWA and AT&T met in Full Committee. The Company provided information on Contractors in Consumer. The Union requested clarification from the Company Chair pertaining to his authority to settle the contract. Union Bargaining Committee members also questioned the Company on other issues pertaining to bargaining.

LET'S STEP UP OUR MOBILIZATION
AND DEMAND THAT THE COMPANY
GET SERIOUS AT THE TABLE!!!!!

UNITED WE BARGAIN....................................
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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8:15 am - On Wednesday, the bargaining committee met with the company to discuss specific contract appendicies and reject some of the company's previous proposals.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #12

March 12, 2009

This report is for Wednesday, March 11, 2009. CWA Sub-Committee for Appendices A, B, D, I, met with the AT&T Sub-Committee this morning to continue bargaining. Appendix A, upgrades and the MOA’s for Service Representatives, Communication Consultants, Revenue Management Representatives and Operators were discussed.

CWA Sub-Committee for Appendix C, H and J also met with the Company Sub-Committee. The Company provided some information pertaining to part timers. There was a lengthy discussion pertaining to the Four Day Work Week with both parties expressing their concerns. No movement for Premise Technicians or Temporary employees. Both Sub-Committees are scheduled to meet tomorrow morning,

The Full Committees met in the afternoon. The Union rejected the Company proposals pertaining to Illness, Sunday Work, Night Differentials and Holidays. The Union also provided revisions to the Basis of Compensation Language and Hours of Work. The Union also gave the Company proposals pertaining to Vacation Eligibility and Hours of Work.

UNITED WE BARGAIN…….
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!

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03/10/09

5:24 pm - The company continues to put forth retrogressive proposals in bargaining. The only way we are going to get an acceptable agreement is mobilize against the company.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #11

March 10, 2009

The CWA & AT&T committees met today to continue negotiations. The Company presented the Union with the following proposals, Absence from Duty which increases the number of waiting days, Recovery of Wage Benefits Overpayments, Sunday Work which includes no premium pay for scheduled Sunday work, Night Differential; their proposed language will pay a 10% differential for each scheduled hour worked between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., On Call Duty, NCS Tie Breaker, Temporary Employees; their language extends temporary work from 18 months to 36 months, Vacation Portability, Holidays deletes "Day After Thanksgiving" and adds an extra "Floating Holiday." As you can see, their proposals are filled with take backs and other substandard language. It is apparent that the Company has no desire to reach a Fair and Just Contract! The Union asked the Company for clarification on the Force Adjustment Article language they have previously presented.

Bargaining will continue tomorrow with both Sub-Committees meeting in the morning and the Full Committee is scheduled to reconvene in the afternoon.

LET’S STEP UP OUR MOBILIZATION…….SEND YOUR MESSAGES TO THE COMPANY-----WE DESERVE A FAIR AND JUST CONTRACT!

UNITED WE BARGAIN…………………….
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

12:57 pm - There have been many people with questions about bargaining and the possibility of a strike. To answer some of these questions, the CWA Local 6132 Educations Committe put together a Q & A on bargaining. Click the image below to download the document.

11:45 am - The bargaining committe did not meet officially on Monday, but reviewed many of the company proposals.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #10

March 10, 2009

There were no scheduled meetings today. The Union spent the day reviewing current Memorandum of Agreements and studying Bargaining proposals. The Union also reviewed and worked on counter proposals.

United We Bargain................................
Divided We Beg!!!!!!!!!!

03/06/09

7:40 pm - With all the retrogressive proposals by the company and its claim that it is unable to compete within the industry, one would think that the AT&T, along with the rest of the country, is in dire financial straits. However many brokerage firms have put AT&T on their top buy lists and say it is at the top of the telcom list as far as investments go. The stock analysts are aware of the bargaining and the possiblity of a strike, but evidently contend that AT&T has plenty of money since they still consider it one of the safer options out there.

AT&T seen riding out economic storm
Wall Street piles aboard as safe havens dwindle

By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- As waves of bad corporate and economic news sink values of one blue-chip company after another, among the few that continue to steam ahead is AT&T Inc.

AT&T is viewed as a safe vessel, a place for investors to stash their cash to ride out the latest market storm. In the past week a bevy of brokerages have upgraded AT&T or put it on their top-buy lists, ranking the stock as the telecommunications industry's best bet. (more...)

The company paid all the salaries and benefits last year and still made profits of $12.9 billion. CWA members are a large part of why the company is so successful and they should be compensated fairly. Obviously with that high of a profit margin, the benefits of CWA members are not too expensive. Rather, it seems that the company is only interested in increasing its already industry leading profits at the expense of the people who made those profits possible.

7:20 pm - With all the retrogressions proposed by the company, the Union has rejected each of them pointing out the company's lack of intrest in the welfare of its employees and its unwillingness to work towards an agreement. The members will need to start putting pressure on the company through more mobilization.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #9

March 6, 2009

The CWA and AT&T Full Committees reconvened to continue bargaining. The Company presented the Union with a proposal pertaining to Force Adjustment. The Union requested an update on the status of the information requests pertaining to Technological Evolution, Contractors and other pertinent data which had been previously requested. The Union clarified its proposal pertaining to Tuition Aid Program. The Union also amended language to our proposal for our Improved Medical Benefits to include improvements in prescription coverage.

The Union rejected the Company’s Proposals on, “Leveraged Titles” based on the potential negative impact it could eventually have on thousands of Service Representatives. The Union also rejected the Company’s proposal on Premise Technicians labeling the proposal as MEAN SPIRITED!

The parties remain on call but there are no scheduled meetings this weekend.

UNITED WE BARGAIN…….
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!

7:00 pm - After proposing to shift health care costs to our members, refusing to renew MOA's aimed at improving the working conditions of call center employees and refusing to bargain for retirees, the company proceeded to attack the benefits of the Premise Technicians who install Uverse, which the company claims is its future.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #8

March 6, 2009

Bargaining continued between CWA and AT&T on Thursday March 5, 2009. Both Union Sub-Committees met with the Company and reported that no progress had been made at either table.

The CWA and AT&T Full Committees reconvened bargaining and the Union presented our proposal with improved Training/Retraining language. The Company presented to the Union their Premise Technician proposal which contains changes that are WORSE than the current language. The Company’s proposal requires additional responsibilities for the Premise Techs such as SAI work and everything from the VRAD to the house and inside on the light speed network, DSL work on the wireline network and any other technical work that may be required at the house that pertains to the wireline network. The Company expects MORE WORK with NO PAY INCREASE. Their proposal also includes the elimination of Sunday Differential, Pension and Post Retirement Health Care Coverage (PRHCC). Current employees who transferred to the Premise Tech title as the result of a Surplus condition will lose their protection for PRHCC and Pension accrual. Premise Techs who transfer to other Appendices in the Core will not receive any Pension and PRHCC. Employees who transfer to the Premise Tech title will have their Pension frozen and service will accrue solely for Pension eligibility and you will still lose your PRHCC. As if that isn’t bad enough, the Company’s proposal will no longer consider the Day after Thanksgiving as a Holiday but substitute it with another day off. To add insult to injury, their language also includes terrible work rules. The Bargaining Committee Considers this, “ANOTHER SLAP IN THE FACE!” This proposal is MEAN SPIRITED and a PERSONAL INSULT to our Members. For the Company to even consider this type of RETROGRESSION shows NO REGARD for our Premise Technicians and NO REPECT FOR OUR MEMBERSHIP! Our Premise Technicians are in dire need of improvements -----for the Company to ignore these needs is TOTALLY RIDICULOUS!

The Company has attacked our Members by proposing a SUBSTANDARD Health Care Package and refusing to extend the current Memorandums of Agreement which included language to create a better work environment for their employees. The Company has attacked our Retirees by refusing to Bargain their Benefits and Now the Company has attacked our Premise Techs by presenting this unacceptable proposal at the table.

LET’S UNITE AND TAKE A STAND…..TELL THE COMPANY, “AN ATTACK ON ONE OF US IS AN ATTACK ON ALL OF US!”

UNITED WE BARGAIN…….
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!

03/05/09

10:49 am - While, according to the previous entry, AT&T is getting sued for work conditions in call centers, the bargaining team reports that AT&T is not wanting to renew the agreements put forth from the Service Rep Task force that are aimed at improving the work conditions in call centers.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #7

March 5, 2009

CWA Sub-Committee for Appendices A, B, D and I met with the Company to continue bargaining. The Company provided some of the information that the Union had previously requested. The Union asked for an update on the issues that the Company had with the Union’s proposal to extend the Service Representative Task Force and Review Committee Recommendations, Communications Consultant Joint Leadership Forum Recommendations, Revenue Management Representative Working Group Recommendations and the Operator Task Force Recommendations. The Company stated they had NO INTENT to extend ANY of the MOA's and followed by stating, “These MOA’s have OUTLIVED there USEFULLNESS. We also feel like some of these provisions restrict managers from managing their employees!” The Company’s major issues were pertaining to the Service Representative Task Force and Review Committee Recommendations. The Company stated that they had problems with Sales Objectives, Adherence, Average Handling Time and that the Appointment Time language only ALLOWED SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES TO TAKE A FREE DAY OFF, EXCUSED—UNPAID. Management continued by stating it has become an administrative nightmare. The fact is this language prohibits management from placing employees on discipline as a result of their performance in some of the measured areas. Bottom line, Management wants to be IN FULL CONTROL of their employees. The Company’s remarks substantiate the Union’s position, “MANAGEMENT is so OUT OF TOUCH with the NEEDS OF THEIR EMPLOYEES and have no desire to create a POSITVE WORK ENVIROMENT! The entire purposes for these agreements are to help address MAJOR problems in these departments with out compromising Company objectives. These agreements have proven to be effective and help our members remove some of the additional unnecessary stress in these extremely stressful jobs. To add insult to injury, management could not answer any of the Union’s questions pertaining to the Company’s refusal to extend the MOA’s since they had not conducted any type of comparison studies or research of results prior to the negotiation of these MOA’s.

Subcommittee for Appendices C, H and J had no progress to report.

In the afternoon the Union And Company met in full Committee. The Union presented the Company with proposals on Surplus Orientation, Transition Allowance and RPP. After a lengthy informal discussion on Training/Retraining the Union requested an update on their request for information. The Company continues to restrict the information that CWA needs to build pro and con arguments for various Union and Company proposals. This is UNPRECEDENTED and clearly an attempt by the Company to control the bargaining.

The Company’s continued negative actions must be addressed by our members…..Let’s Unite and Take a Stand by Letting the Company know we DESERVE A FAIR AND JUST CONTRACT!!!!!!

UNITED WE BARGAIN………………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9:50 am - AT&T has had a lawsuit filed against it for the work that call center employees have to do before actually clocking in. Similar suits have been filed before in AT&T Wireless before it evolved into AT&T mobility. The suit centers arount uncompensated work and violations of the Fair Labor Stardards Act.

Call Center Employees Represented by Nichols Kaster, PLLP File Suit Against AT&T Subsidiary Michigan Bell Telephone Company

updated 1:07 p.m. CT, Wed., March. 4, 2009

DETROIT, MI - On Tuesday, March 3, 2009, call center employees represented by Nichols Kaster, PLLP filed suit against Michigan Bell Telephone Company, a subsidiary of AT&T. Named Plaintiffs Scott A. Fisher and Jesse J. LaForest have brought this suit individually, and on behalf of similarly situated individuals in Michigan Bell's call centers. These Plaintiffs, as well as the similarly situated individuals, were required to log on to numerous computer applications before the beginning of their regularly scheduled shifts as well as perform work during their meal breaks and after their shifts. (more...)

03/04/09

7:15 pm - In the latest bargaining report, the company proposes a "leveraged title" pay system that would be performance based and allow the company to deny pay raises to employees who are unsatisfactory.

CWA/AT&T BARGAINING REPORT #6

March 4, 2009

CWA and AT&T reconvened bargaining this morning. CWA Sub-Committee for appendices A, B, D and I presented numerous proposals with detailed information to the Company for consideration. After discussions by both parties the Company stated they would review the Union’s proposals and respond accordingly. The Union requested additional information relevant to the upgrade’s we requested. The Union also submitted proposals requesting the extension of certain MOA’S through the life of the new contract period. The Company stated they had several issues with the Service Representative Task Force Agreement and were in the process of reviewing the language in detail. Upon completion the Company will advise the Union of their issues.

CWA Sub-Committee for appendices C, H and J requested data specific to titles in these appendices. Requests were made pertaining to the number of employees and the loaded wage rates for each title. Proposals requesting upgrades of certain titles were also presented by Union. Considerable discussions took place on the Premise Technician Title. The Committees agreed to reconvene on Wednesday to continue discussions.

In the afternoon the Union and Company met in Full Committee. The Union notified the Company that we were rejecting the Company’s Health Care package and proceeded to presented numerous proposals to the Company requesting improvements in the Savings and Security Plan, Medical Plan, Pension Plan, Vision Plan, Dental Plan, Adoption Assistance and Life Insurance. After a lengthy discussion, the Company stated they would review the Unions proposals. The Union also presented the Company with proposals which contained improvements in the Funeral and Travel Articles.

The Company Presented the Union with a “Leveraged Title” proposal which contains language that allows the Company to pay employees based on their performance. Their proposal allows management to skip wage increases based on employees less than satisfactory conduct. It is apparent that the Company has no regard for their employees. A Company who has astronomical profits of over 12.9 Billion Dollars in 2008, as the result of our members Professionalism, Expertise, Commitment and Dedication, is definitely a lack of regard to their employees!

So far, everything the Company has presented to your Bargaining Committee has been nothing more than “A Slap In The Face” to the HARD WORKING men and women of CWA! The Company’s refusal to bargain for current retirees coupled with what we view as their illegal activities of not providing a copy of requested bargaining data to the Union and then requiring a search of your bargaining committee’s notes after we are forced to review the data on Company premises is nothing more than “GUSTAPO” tactics by AT&T. LET’S STEP UP OUR MOBILIZATION ACTIVITY AND LET MANAGEMENT KNOW WE BUILT THIS COMPANY AND WE DESERVE A FAIR AND JUST CONTRACT!

UNITED WE BARGAIN…………….
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stay tuned to the website and emails for upcoming mobilization activities.

5:35 pm - The AT&T Mobility negotiations that covered the CWA members in the New York area have finally resulted in a tentative agreement. AT&T Mobility had been adopting tactics similar to what our negotiating team is facing, but through an active mobilization campaign CWA members were able to get an agreement that provides real gains for workers, including improvements in the retail stores compensation plan and the establishment of a new career path for customer service representatives.

See the terms of the agreement here

Just as Mobility CWA members produced a tentative agreement through mobilization, our success will depend on everyone staying together and following through on mobilization activities.

03/02/09

5:10 pm - The bargaining committee's report for today finally shows the company starting to share some information. Additionally, it was agreed upon that the committee would split up in teams to handle the different appendices.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #5

March 2, 2009

CWA District 6 met with AT&T to reconvene bargaining. The Company provided some of the information we requested pertaining to, "Partial Session Absence." The Union presented in detail numerous proposals for the Company to review and consider. The Union requested an update on other information that we have requested, but have not received.

The Union and the Company agreed to have two Sub-Committees to review proposals for the following appendices: Committee one will consist of A, B, D and I; Committee two will consist of C, H and J. Our first committee meetings are scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Let's keep our Mobilization Activity going STRONG!

UNITED WE BARGAIN…………….
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!

6:50 am - Last week, the company's bargaining team put out a proposal to severely cut back on our health care benefits. As a result, this week is "health care" week for mobilization. Get the following flyer out to everyone at work.

02/27/09

5:27 pm - Today's report from the bargaining committee confirms that the company is trying to gut the health care benefits of CWA members by instituting high premiums, high deductibles and high out of pocket expenses.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #4

February 27, 2009

The Communications Workers of America Bargaining Committee met today to continue bargaining. The Company provided some public information to the Union. The Company also presented the Union with their first proposal on HEALTHCARE. To no surprise, the Company has proposed MAJOR changes in our current Healthcare coverage. The proposed package is similar to the coverage that Management currently has today, which consists of HIGH PREMIUMS, DEDUCTIBLES AND OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES!

The Union presented the Company with a package of various proposals for consideration. We will reconvene on Monday, March 2, 2009.

Next week is designated as HEALTHCARE WEEK. We will be leafleting on Monday; and the entire week will be focused on issues involving the importance of PROTECTING OUR HEALTHCARE COVERAGE. The Union will be proposing improvements to the current plan!

Remember RED Thursdays and Black Fridays!

DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!

11:45 am - To put pressure on the company during negotiations, the CWA Local in Beaumont has begun informal picketing at company locations. Mobilizing efforts such as this will be key in these contract negotiations when the company is taking a hard line in bargaining. Stay tuned to the website and check your email for local mobilization activities.

By AMY A. COLLINS
February, 24, 2009

Union workers with AT&T Corp. are planning more mobilization rallies like the one Tuesday morning, said Gwen Spikes, Communications Workers of America Local No. 6139 president.

AT&T employees work under a labor agreement negotiated by the Communications Workers of America, the current version of which expires on April 4. The contract affects 400 workers in the Southeast Texas region, over half of them in downtown Beaumont.

Tuesday's rally marked the start of a bargaining contract period between the union and the Dallas-based telecommunications corporation. Almost 50 employees attended, passing out information fliers, chanting and singing songs, Spikes said.

"It's a good start," she said Tuesday. "We intend to hold more rallies on a regular basis as the bargaining continues and would appreciate the community's support."

Health care, outside contracting and job security are among the issues under discussion.

AT&T recently worked to change some contract positions, bringing those jobs back onto payroll as union jobs, according to Walt Sharp, spokesman for the Dallas-based telecommunications company.

Spikes agreed, saying technical support positions have been brought back into the country, but not at the desired pay scale. Spikes said the company contracts within the country, which still takes jobs away from union members.

It's important that positions stay within the company because AT&T employees are more likely to do the best job possible for the company's, and their own, reputations.

"We take pride in the work we do and the service invested," said Spikes.

If negotiations go past deadline, the bargaining committee can continue operations by using a rolling contract until a tentative agreement is reached. Employees also might work without a contract, a less popular option, said Spikes.

When negotiations went five or six weeks past deadline in 2004, workers went on strike for four days. This time, the parties are hoping to avoid having history repeat itself.

Future rallies will take place before 8 a.m. at one or another of the AT&T Beaumont work locations, including 555 Main St. in downtown and Texas 105 at U.S. 69 near Market Basket.

8:47 am - As the press releases pile up, it is becoming more and more evident that AT&T has no problem increasing spending across the board, except of course on labor...

AT&T’s 2009 global budget set at US$1B

by Doug Allen
Fri. February 27, 2009

...AT&T’s announcement setting aside $1 billion in capex for its global investment this year. The technology sectors that will reap the fruits of this largesse are largely the ones that received similar funding last year. They are: Ethernet for the business WAN; hosted (especially network-based) and managed services, subsea networks; and European data centers based in the U.K. and the Netherlands. (more...)

02/26/09

7:00 pm - In it latest report, the CWA bargianing committee decribes the company as causing delays and attempting to keep CWA members in the dark.

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #3

February 26, 2009

Bargaining continued this afternoon between the Communications Workers of America and AT&T. CWA raised numerous questions pertaining to the Notice of Change Letters received from the Company on February 23, 2009. The Union has various concerns in regards to the changes the Company has proposed in the areas of Overtime, Union Dues Confirmation, FMLA, Arbitration, Partial Session Illness and Customer Security Requirements. After a lengthy discussion, the Company agreed to research and upon completion respond to the Unions questions.

To date, the Company still has not complied with the Union request for information letter. It is obvious that this is a delay tactic by the Company and a means of keeping our MEMBERS IN THE DARK. The Company further REFUSED TO BARGAIN on RETIREES BENIFITS!!!!!!!

This is proof positive that the Company has no intent of reaching a FAIR AND JUST Contract-----Let's continue our Mobilization Activity and let the Company know, "WE DEMAND WHAT WE DESERVE AND WE WILL NOT FORGET OUR RETIREES WHO BUILT THIS COMPANY!!!!" Don't forget to wear BLACK ON FRIDAYS.

UNITED WE BARGAIN............

DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!

5:45 - As shown in yesterday's bargining report, it seems as if the company is positioning itself to propose cutbacks in health care. The CWA bargaining team has make it clear that we will not accept a substandard health care package and committed to work with the company, if it was interested, on getting legislative health care relief in hopes of removing some of the cost burden from the company. The company has shown little interest in teaming with the union for health care, however CWA is still pursuing the issue with the new administration.

CWA Commends Obama Administration Steps Toward Universal Health Care

By: PR Newswire
Feb. 26, 2009 05:29 PM

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Communications Workers of America commended President Obama's strong support for health care reform and the administration's proposed budget that will move our nation closer toward the goal of universal health care. (more...)

02/25/09

4:30 - The CWA bagaining committee takes a stand on Health Care and the company tries some new tactics:

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #2

February 25, 2009

Bargaining between the Communications Workers of America and AT&T reconvened this morning. The Company presented an overview on Healthcare, which basically positions the Company for requesting take backs in this area. Richard Kneupper, CWA Bargaining Chair quickly responded that the Union has partnered with the Company in the past by finding creative ways to limit Company cost, while at the same time providing good healthcare for our members. He stated we are willing to do the same during these negotiations. However, the committee will not accept a sub-standard healthcare package for our members!

Today, CWA was notified by the Company of their intent to temporarily suspend the Motor Vehicle Usage Program across the entire bargaining unit beginning March 27, 2009.

Since the Company has failed to provide the Union with copies of the pertinent information necessary for bargaining preparation without the Union signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement, the Union was unable to present the Company with any proposals. After reviewing documents last night on Company premise the Union notified the Company of the information that had been requested, which had not been included. The Union has never been required to sign any type of agreement in the past. The Union stated their position, which is that the Company is delaying the bargaining process in placing an undue burden by making this unreasonable request. We will keep you posted on the outcome of this dispute.

UNITED WE BARGAIN…………

DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!

3:30 pm - AT&T is going all out to reach out to CWA members to try to convince you to support AT&T's bargaining agenda and has sent a letter out to all the core employees.

John T. Stankey, President and Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Operations, Inc. (2008 compensation: $5.6 million) wrote to core employees celebrating the Company's new bargaining web site. It's no coincidence that the two articles posted on the site speak to rising health care costs, which is a key piece of the Company's bargaining agenda -- shifting health care costs to us and our retirees.

The site also solicits your questions (to be sent to "m58380"). We are sure our members will see through the Company's thinly veiled propaganda and come to the Union for true bargaining information.

Follow the link below and tell the company what CWA members think of AT&T's health care cries of poverty.

Send a message here: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/m58380/igbku32h763577x?

8:48 am - According to the CWA bargaining team's report relased late yesterday, the company started negotiations by talking about cooperation and partnership in one room, while faxing in some extreme changes to certain practices. District 6 Vice President, Andy Milburn, predicted that the company will ask for concessions from CWA to give AT&T a level playing field in the market. Of course the company will be asking for these cuts after posting $12.9 billion in profits. In just today, in the news, the financial broker J.P. Morgan upgraded AT&T's stock to "overweight" status. In financial speak, an overweight status means the company has a healthy outlook and it is a recomendation for people to invest.

AT&T Upped To Overweight By J.P. Morgan

LONDON -- AT&T was upgraded to overweight from neutral by J.P. Morgan, with the broker saying the telecom giant has a conservative wireline margin view. The broker also sees the path to wireless margin recovery is clearer. (Link)

Usually when a company goes into negotiations with a union the recomendations on the stock will go down because , but AT&T has been so profitable in 2008 and the outlook is so good for 2009 that brokerage firms are recommending the stock in spite of union negotiations. Quite simply, the company is not hurting regardless of whatever claims they make at the bargaining table.

In fact, AT&T is doing so well, that is has committed to a massive network infrastructure build out.

AT&T Spending $1 Billion For Additional Business Services

By Antone Gonsalves
InformationWeek
February 23, 2009 05:55 PM

AT&T (NYSE: T) on Monday said it plans to spend an additional $1 billion this year on its global telecommunications network to expand services offered to businesses. AT&T, which competes with Verizon Communications, plans to improve its network infrastructure for delivering Internet-based data and video as companies worldwide increasingly shift to the Web for communications with customers, suppliers, and employees. (more...)

Something of that size sounds like it might need a lot of skilled employees to facilitate. AT&T better focus on creating attractive jobs to retain its skilled labor or it might just loose its "overweight" status and its future profits.

02/24/09

5:25 pm - The bargaining committee released the first bargaining report:

CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #1

February 24, 2009

The Communications Workers of America Bargaining Committee met with AT&T’s Bargaining Representatives at 10:00 a.m. to Kick-Off Bargaining. Representing CWA at the table: Richard Kneupper, Assistant to the District 6 Vice President; Ed Pinkelman, Area Director; Sylvia J. Ramos, Staff; Glynne Stanley, President - CWA 6214; Ronnie Gray, President - CWA 6228; Ron Dye, President - CWA 6016; Mike Mehringer, EVP - CWA 6300; Johnnna Carlon Lee-Steward - CWA 6508; and Guy Stewart, Vice President - CWA 6203.

Andy Milburn, District 6 Vice President, opening remarks focused on AT&T being the largest and most successful telecommunication company in the World, and that their success is a direct result of the partnership with CWA. Vice President Milburn stated, “It is CWA’s belief that the respect, collaboration, and partnership we have built over the years lays the groundwork for successful negotiations.” He stressed the fact that AT&T’s $12.9 billion in profits last year is proof positive that AT&T is financially sound and well-positioned for 2009 and the future. Vice President Milburn stressed that if AT&T can take care of its executives and investors it can look out for those who create these profits—its employees, our MEMBERS! He further stated that breaking promises to retirees on fixed incomes is the wrong thing to do.

The Company’s Representative, Joe Croci, AT&T Vice-President - Labor Relations, stated that the Company was prepared to work with us and that together we can reach an agreement that is good for all. He followed those comments by emphasizing that they are facing challenging times and that the country is in a crisis. He stated that AT&T has not been spared. He talked about healthcare being the fastest rising cost and that lowering operating cost was inevitable. Mr. Croci continuously mentioned our positive working relationship, while the Company had already faxed the following notice of changes to CWA’s District Office:

1. RE: Change in custom and practice – Overtime. The Company plans to discontinue the practice of assigning overtime to volunteers first.

2. RE: Change in custom and practice – Union Dues Confirmation. The company plans to discontinue the practice of faxing a confirmation back to Local Presidents who send in a group of authorization cards to Payroll.

3. RE: Change in Custom and practice – Arbitration. Company is requesting to change, “Stop the Clock” language. The Company further requests to change the agreement on the Union reviewing the arbitration transcript.

4. RE: Change in custom and practice – FMLA. The Company intends to start implementing its right under FMLA regulations to require employees to substitute paid time off for unpaid FMLA leave.

5. Change in custom and practice – Partial Session Illness. The Company will no longer pay employees for any partial session absences for illness.

6. Change in custom and practice – Customer Security Requirements.

How the Company can talk about a positive working relationship out of one side of their mouth, while requesting these totally unacceptable changes out of the other, is definitely setting the stage for this round of bargaining negotiations!

It is extremely important that we participate at 100% in all of our mobilization activities to send the Company a STRONG MESSAGE…..WE ARE UNITED AND STAND TOGETHER IN OUR FIGHT FOR A FAIR AND JUST CONTRACT!!!!!!!

UNITED WE BARGAIN …………………DIVIDED WE BEG!!!

2:00 pm - CWA District 6 Vice President Andy Milburn gave his opening remarks in the initial session of contract negotiations today. Milburn talked about the history of the relationship between CWA District 6 and SBC/AT&T and how much has been achieved through the partnership of the company and the union. The CWA District Vice President stated that as in the past, AT&T will be seeking to achieve a competitive cost structure.

In plain English, AT&T would like to lower the wages and benefits of its employees to the level of those workers at its cable TV competitors. CWA has no intention of participating in a race to the bottom. We should look for ways to stimulate the economy not shrink it.

Milburn urges the company to seek a competitive level playing field by supporting the EFCA and getting unions into the cable companies, not bringing good union jobs down to the level of non-union competitors.

Milburn also emphasized the issue of health care and how that will be one of the biggest issues addressed. Reference was made to the previous strikes over the issue of healthcare in illustrating that health care solutions need to be pursued in the legislative forum rather than the bargaining table.

The full text of Andy Milburn's opening remarks can be viewed at this link.

1:15 pm - Bargaining Begins Today for the Core Contract

02/23/09

2:48 pm - With bargaining starting tomorrow, CWA District 6 is asking all members to support the bargaining team by wearing black.

1:44 pm - We have had a few members working for the Core AT&T contract that have called up to the local saying that their manager has said we will be on strike for two months. Once again, we have not even started negotiating yet. We are nowhere close to talking about a strike, yet much less one that would last two months. This is typical company scare tactics designed to frighten those who have not been through negotiations before. Bargaining will begin on 2/24/09 and will continue until we have a contract or authorize a strike. There is no guarantee that we will go on strike on April 4th if there is not an agreement. We may very well work past the expiration date of the contract for a while like other bargaining units have done. We may strike on April 4th or sometime after April 4th or not at all. Our tactics depend upon how negotiations are going and they don't officially start until tomorrow. Any talk of a strike right now is nothing more than rumor or scare tactics, don't let yourself be fooled.

11:21 am - All CWA wants is a fair contract from AT&T in April. However, AT&T has employed a company called Zero Chaos to hire Bell retirees to scab if we choose to go on strike. They also put out a letter to retired managers to train these scabs to do our work. Zero Chaos seems to be hiring scabs for the following positions:

• Consumer Call Centers
• Credit and Collection Call Centers
• POTS installation and repair
• Copper and Fiber cable splicing
• U-verse installation
• Worldwide Customer Service Call Centers

For helping AT&T subvert out Contract and our benefits, the company is paying those employed by Zero Chaos a basic rate of $27.50 an hour (plus overtime). Guess that's the going rate for union busting these days.

On its website, Zero Chaos describes its mission: "We supply workforce solutions..." to make it easier for companies to hired contractors without dealing with troublesom IRS regulations and to help contractors deal with companies without all the messy tax paperwork. A big sideline is helpoing companies hire contracted scabs. If the company wants a "workforce solution" CWA members can save AT&T a lot of time and money if AT&T would simply agree to give its employees a decent living by signing our contract.

Bottom line is that AT&T is lining things up and preparing. With the DFR-1s, the coming strike vote and our mobilization timeline, we are preparing as well. The company is going to stick to its guns and we need to stay united and stick to ours. We all saw what Verizon workers accomplished with thier mobilization efforts, it our turn now. Bargaining begins on 2/24/09, in the mean time, we might as well create a little chaos for Zero Chaos. Email them at service@attalumnisourcing.com and let them know what you think.

10:52 am - Bargaining with AT&T core begins tomorrow and the company is sure to point out the state of the economy and how CWA needs to tailor its agreement to the "economic realities." Well, the economic realities are that the telecom industry is not as effected by recessions as other industries and the company has posted huge profits despite the economic down cycle. In fact, AT&T has withstood the recession/depression so well that it saw fit to reward its top 5 executives with $33.5 million dollars in compensation according to the 2/17/09 preliminary proxy statement filed by AT&T.

AT&T 2008 Executive Compensation

Randall Stephenson, Chairman, CEO & President	$11,565,255
Richard Lindner, Sr. Exec. Vice President & CFO	$ 4,623,241
Ralph de la Vega, President & CEO, AT&T Mobility & Consumer Markets	$ 6,150,645
Forrest Miller, Group Pres., Corp. Strategy & Dev.	$ 5,517,097
John Stankey, President & CEO, AT&T Operations	$ 5,595,671

This compensation includes a large array of Company-paid perks like financial counseling, tax preparation, car benefits, personal use of Company aircraft, supplemental health insurance premiums, club membership, and home security.

There's also a group of part-timers at AT&T who are doing well: The members of AT&T's board of directors were paid an average of more than $275,000 each. (Average for the 13 directors who served for all of 2008.)

With that much money and wealth spread around, the company can afford to give its employees, the backbone of the company, a fair wage and decent health care.

02/16/09

3:30 pm - With bargaining coming up and all the mobilization activities that entails, the Local is making many preparations.

We are currently building a mobilization structure for all the memebers of the local so that we can get information out to our members in a timely manner. If you are working under the Core contract, you will probably have stewards coming up to you asking for contact information. If you have not been contacted by anyone yet, give your chief steward a call to make sure you are not left out.

The Local will also be conducting a strike vote in the coming weeks. Ballots will go out to all members working under the core contract. A strike vote is always taken early on during negotiations so that the union can show the company the membership is ready to do whatever it takes to get a contract. Voting yes on the strike vote does not mean we will automatically strike, it just signifies that if bargaining breaks down and the contract has already expired, you would be willing to strike for your benefits. Be watching the mail for your ballot.

Also, the Local is putting out Striker Certification forms for the members to fill out. Should the strike vote indicate that the members want to strike and bargaining has gotten to such a point that a strike is authorized, members who are on strike and do their picket duty will be eligible for Member Relief Fund assistance, however, in order to actually get a strike fund check, all members need to have a DFR-1 form on file. The form is available below.

2:39 pm - CWA is gearing up for bargaining with AT&T for the Core Contract. The contracts for 6 contracts for 125,000 employees expire on April 4th. CWA wanted to bargain some of the larger issues such as health care, retirement and other common benefits at a national table. AT&T said no and wanted each CWA district to bargain on its own, evidently the company wants to split the CWA contingents up and try to play them against one another during bargaing. Nevertheless, the bargaining teams from all districts have agreed to coordinate bargaining amongst the 6 tables so that even with six sets of negotiations going on, the company will be facing one union and one fight. The bargaining committees for all districts met last week in St. Louis and discussions focused on evolving technology in the industry and how that affects jobs, training and education for workers. Negotiations begin February 24th for all six tables.

02/09/09

4:46 pm - While it feigns money problems and lack of income during negotiations in the Midwest, AT&T makes plans for 100 new cell towers in the Southeast.

MIAMI, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As people's lives become increasingly mobile and fast-paced, AT&T Mobility is expanding its Florida network to help customers keep up with the speed of life. The company announced today it plans to add some 100 new cell sites throughout Florida in 2009, and nearly 600 throughout the Southeast Region. The planned sites are part of AT&T Mobility's ongoing expansion of its third-generation (3G) network, the nation's fastest 3G network, according to recent data compiled by leading independent wireless research firms. (more...)

3:38 pm - AT&T has been negotiating with CWA for the Mobility Orange Contract which covers Mobility workers in the Midwest. While the negotiations do not directly affect anyone in Local 6132, we can look at AT&T's behavior in these negotiations and get some idea of how they are going to act during our AT&T Core negotiations that are coming up.

As of today, the negotiations between CWA and AT&T have stopped and both sides have entered a "cooling off" period. The "cooling off" period was preceded by the contract expiration coming and going and AT&T saying that CWA was walking away from negotiations. In reality, Mobility workers in that baraing unit are still working and the "cooling off" period was instituted because the company kept dragging its feet and would not give credence to any of the bargaining proposals CWA put forth.

While it is a different contract, we can expect and need to prepare for the company's hard line during negotiations. While the negotiations have been taking place, the company has put out notifications to its employees trying to paint CWA as the bad guy and cause a split in the rank and file members. So far the members of CWA of held together, but we need to be prepared for the same tactics and the same misinformation during our negotiations.

For more information on the AT&T Mobility Orange contract read the bargaining reports.

1/22/09

10:27 am - Rolling Stone magazine has published an open letter from Nobel-winning economist, Paul Krugman to recently-sworn-in President Barrack Obama about the state of the economy and what needs to be done to fix it. In his letter, Krugman cites a list of things that need to be done quickly to effect change as well as things that need to be implemented to make the solution more long term. High on Krugman's list are the very issues that CWA is focusing on in the coming year: EFCA and Health care. Krugman states that,

[Obama] can do a lot to enhance workers' rights. One is to start laying the groundwork to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, which would make it much harder for employers to intimidate workers who want to join a union ... the legislation will enable America to take a huge step toward recapturing the middle-class society we've lost.

On the issue of health care, Krugman feels that ,

The biggest, most important legacy [Obama] can leave to the nation will be to give us, finally, what every other advanced nation already has: guaranteed health care for all our citizens. The current crisis has given us an object lesson in the need for universal health care, in two ways. It has highlighted the vulnerability of Americans whose health insurance is tied to jobs that can so easily disappear. And it has made it clear that our current system is bad for business, too...

The entire letter can be viewed on the Rolling Stone website.

9:46 am - Shortly before the inauguration of Barrack Obama, Bush pushed several pro-business, anti-worker regulations through. After taking office, President Obama was able to undo some of the regulations, but a particular stiffening of FMLA rules that the previous administration slid through in November is not able to be repealed. It was believed that the FMLA changes could be undone after Obama took office, however, the administration timed the FMLA changes such that they were implemented as law 3 days before Obama took office. Mike Hall from the AFL-CIO previously covered the issue in his blog when the changes were first proposed:

New Bush Rules Narrow Family Leave for Workers

by Mike Hall, Nov 14, 2008

As part of its last-minute move to push dozens of pro-business regulations onto the books before it leaves office, the Bush administration today issued new finalized rules for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) that will make it tougher for some 77 million workers to use leave when they need to take care of themselves or family members.

Jocelyn Frye, general counsel for the National Partnership for Women & Families, says the new rules:

Will make it more difficult to take leave when they needed it.

But, along with new restrictions on workers’ use of leave, the U.S. Department of Labor also added new rules clarifying how military families can take time off to care for wounded service members. In January, Congress approved legislation extending the FMLA to military families.

Yesterday, Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) told reporters the changes for military families will:

…help military families balance work and family. But other changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act on balance, benefit employers at the expense of workers.

Under FMLA, companies employing 50 or more people must allow workers up to 12 weeks a year of unpaid leave to care for themselves or family members during illnesses or for the birth or adoption of a child.

One of the business-backed changes requires workers to give advance notification before they take leave. Family advocates point out many workers are forced to take family and medical leave because of sudden illness or injury to themselves or family members.

The final rules are nearly identical to initial regulations the Labor Department first proposed. Testifying before a House committee earlier this year, National Partnership President Debra Ness said:

workers will find that they must give more notice, more information, have more medical examinations and respond to employer requirements in shorter time frames. Employers, on the other hand, would have more time to respond to employees’ request for FMLA leave and more ways to delay or deny FMLA leave.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney called the rules “another slap in the face to working families who are struggling just to get by in the midst of an economic crisis.”

It’s reprehensible—but all too predictable—that the Bush administration would use its final days in office to give business interests one more gift by placing more hurdles in front of workers who need to care for their families.

The new rules will be published Nov. 17 in the Federal Register and go into effect Jan. 17, just days before President-elect Barack Obama takes office. By finalizing the family leave rules now, the Bush administration has made sure that if the Obama administration wants to rescind or modify the business-backed changes, it will face a long and drawn-out regulatory process.

Obama has called for expanding the FMLA to cover more workers and also supports paid sick leave for workers.

1/21/09

3:59 pm - CWA members are featured making the connection between restoring America's middle class and workers' rights to choose union representation in two new commercials promoting the Employee Free Choice Act.

12:15 pm - With all the debate and arguing about the bailout of the Auto Industry in relation to the Wall Street bailout. The plight of thousands of United Auto Workers (UAW) have fallen by the wayside. The President of the UAW has asked that American's start buying American, union-made cars. A UAW buyers guide is available on the UAW website that lists all union-made cars. If you are in the market for a new car, help out the UAW, the American economy and the labor movement overall by purchasing an American, union-made car.

12/19/08

3:11 pm - Within the current environment of surplusing employees and job completing temporary workers, it is astounding that the Board of Directors fo AT&T would announce that it is raising dividend payments by 2.5%. As they push more of our members out the door with one hand, they stuff more money in their pockets with the other.

Print out the flier below and post on all bulletin boards.

12:15 - The arbitration award for AT&T Mobility's health care plan has finally been released by the arbitrator. See the following announcement from District 6:

CWA's long battle to protect AT&T Mobility workers from the excessive health care cost shifting demanded by the company has reached a conslusion with the arbitration decision released late yesterday.

The arbitrator's decision reflects agreement with CWA that AT&T Mobility's demands were out of line. The arbitrator agreed with CWA, stating that "the company has been thriving in this concededly competitive environment and that it can afford to maintain, in the future, without question, a relatively generous benefit. And the Union notes, with some justification, that inprudent increases in health care costs to employees may well result in their declining to sign up for coverage or to leave the workforce entirely," he said.

In contract bargaining, AT&T Mobility demanded that a tremendous amount of health care costs be shifted to workers. Under the company's original proposal, workers would have been forced to pay up to 35 precent of health care costs.

When CWA forced the company into arbitration, AT&T Mobility lowered its proposal, demanding that workers pay 29 percent of health care costs. CWA fought against this cost shifting, pointing out that the Company's demands for increased cost sharing were unreasonable and would make health care unaffordable for many Mobility workers. The Company in its final offer, lowered its proposal once more to a 26 percent cost share.

Under the Arbitrator's decision, cost sharing for current workers will gradually increase from 14 percent of total health care costs(in the form of premium contributions and out-of pocket expenses) in 2010 to 20 percent in 2012. By comparison, under the current plan, employees now pay 11 percent of costs. When the National Bargained Plan was first negotiatied, employees paid 15 percent of costs.

The arbitrator's ruling calls for the cost share to remain at 11 percent in 2009 for incumbent employees. Under ruling, workers hired after January 1, 2009 will pay 20 percent of health care costs. It is importnat to note that CWA was able to prevent the company from cost shifing in dental, vision and other benefit plans.

CWA and the Company are in discussions about how the arbitration award will be implemented. Further details will be supplied as they become available.

As stated above, there are implementiation discussions taking place between the company and the union. More information will be posted here as those discussions proceed.

12/17/08

3:45 pm - The Local had its Christmas Party on Friday December 12. Check the Photo Gallery for more images.

12/10/08

1:30 pm - Regarding the status of health care negotiations between CWA and AT&T Mobility, the local has recieved the following update:

Please be advised that Arbitrator Bloch has requested to extend the deadline for rendering his decision from Friday, December 12 until Monday, December 15. CWA has advised him that the extension is acceptable.

Hopefully the negotiating team will be able to put the finishing touches on an acceptable plan by Monday.

1:15 pm - CWA International is ready, once again, to kick off the CWA Joe Beirne Foundation's annual scholarship offerings for the 2009-2010 school year.

The Foundation's Board of Directors has approved the awarding of fifteen (15) partial college scholarships of up to $3,000 each, and the winners also will receive second-year scholarships for the same amount, contingent upon satisfactory academic achievement.

Eligible for the scholarships are CWA members, their spouses, children and grandchildren, including the dependents of retired, laid-off, or deceased members. Applicants must be high school graduates or high school students who will graduate during the year in which they apply. Undergraduate and graduate students returning to school may also apply.

Applications will be available solely online for completion and submission to the Foundation's website: http://www.cwa-union.org/members/beirne/. Applications will be accepted until March 31, 2009. The winners will be chosen by lottery from those submitting the required essay. Additional information about the program can be found at the website.

12/08/08

12:45 pm - Reminder: The deadline for the Texas AFL-CIO scholarship application is approaching. The Texas AFL-CIO Scholarship is open to members or children of members of local unions that are affiliated with both the Texas AFL-CIO and the Central Labor Council having jurisdiction over that union. Applicants must be high school seniors who plan on enrolling in a university, college, or technical institute in the summer or fall term. The Texas AFL-CIO awards a minimum of 20 $1,000 scholarships under the program. In recent years, the number of scholarships has exceeded 30, thanks to the Texas AFL-CIO Scholarship Fund, a tax-exempt charitable organization that helps fund the program. Click on this link for the 2009 Texas AFL-CIO Scholarship application: http://tx.aflcio.org/5044/?action=article&articleid=a16b508e-0475-4d06-bc59-0ce4d5007abf. The applications need to be postmarked by January 31, 2009.

12:30 pm - With AT&T announcing that it was going to reduce the workforce by 12,000 jobs, unfortunately, it looks like they joined an alarming trend. The unemployment rate is now at 6.7 percent, a 15-year high, and rising, AP reports. The monthly job loss figure has not been this bad since 1974 -- the height of the Watergate Era and a time when the stratospheric expenditures on the Vietnam War came to roost.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney today issued this statement on the jobs figures:

"Today’s jobs numbers are an economic code red for our country’s working families, and layoff announcements this week signal that things are only getting worse. Our nation shed 533,000 jobs in November, the greatest monthly drop since 1974. Since the recession began last December, the economy has lost 1.9 million jobs. The unemployment rate has spiked to 6.7 percent. This is no time for the complacency we’re seeing from politicians who seem to be trying to out-Hoover Hoover.

While Barack Obama’s new economic team looks forward to tacking this crisis next month, we need action on a major jobs-producing economic stimulus now."

"As families continue to lose jobs and homes, we need urgent action from Congress on a bridge loan to our struggling auto industry to prevent a devastating acceleration in job loss and economic catastrophe. And Congress must pass a $450 billion economic recovery package that provides fiscal support to struggling state and local governments to maintain vital services, extends unemployment benefits and invests in infrastructure development to create good, green jobs."

"But immediate solutions are only one piece of the puzzle."

"President-elect Obama has pledged to enact broad-based economic reform to save the middle class. He will need to act swiftly to put an end to the chorus of deregulation that let Wall Street spiral out of control."

"Our nation’s banking and financial sectors urgently require increased government oversight to safeguard working people’s hard earned money."

"From health care to trade policy, we need leaders who have the courage to put working people’s interests ahead of the corporate bottom line."

"No economic reform will be complete without restoring workers’ freedom to form and join unions to bargain for better wages and benefits. Without it, working people will lose their toehold on the middle class."

12/02/08

4:18 pm - Washington Post piece on how unions should not be blamed for dragging down the auto-industry:

Labor unfairly blamed for plight of U.S. auto industry

By E.J. DIONNE JR

There is a paradox at the heart of the proposed bailout of the auto industry. The rescue would have no chance of passing without the muscle of the Big Three's unionized work force. Yet you can't turn around without hearing someone trash autoworkers for the terrible crime of trying to earn a decent living.

The CEOs of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, having blown their earlier plea for help last month, deliver their revival plans to Congress today and face their big test later in the week when they defend them. Democratic congressional leaders desperately want to help an industry that accounts, directly or indirectly, for some 3 million to 5 million jobs. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were astonished at how unprepared these corporate titans proved to be the last time.

By flying into town on private jets and offering few answers to their congressional interlocutors, the big shots suggested they didn't understand that people begging for taxpayer money owe a certain deference to their potential benefactors. They must have thought they were running Citigroup.

The auto companies are having trouble securing help precisely because members of Congress are overwhelmed, even appalled, by the hundreds of billions they have already shoved out the door on behalf of the finance industry. One of Pelosi's top lieutenants referred to the phenomenon as "bailout fatigue."

Yet the auto industry will almost certainly be tided over precisely because the economy is in such turmoil. The dominant view in Congress is that the country can't afford to risk the financial and human calamities that bankruptcy by the Big Three would inevitably trigger.

Assuming the CEOs have done their homework, are reasonably humble and arrive here having used less ostentatious forms of transportation, Democratic leaders are likely to push for one of two forms of aid.

The House and Senate leadership is inclined to give the industry the full $25 billion it seeks. But a top congressional aide said it is not yet clear that a bailout that large has the votes to pass both houses, let alone backing from President Bush, who would have to sign the bill. Plan B would involve passing enough assistance to keep the companies solvent until President-elect Barack Obama takes office. Obama — who carried Michigan by more than 800,000 votes and swept the rest of the industrial Midwest — has signaled that he would support a properly structured bailout.

The failure of the Big Three is regularly attributed to the high wages and benefits earned by members of the United Auto Workers union, and it's true that the Detroit-based auto companies operate under heavy "legacy costs" for retirees' pensions and health coverage negotiated during the industry's fat times.

But the blame-the-workers-first cant ignores the fact that if the Big Three had designed better cars, they would not have lost as much market share to Toyota, Nissan and other competitors. The unions did not stop management from producing a better product — and I say that as someone who has enjoyed driving Saturns for the last 15 years.

It's also nonsense to say that the UAW has been indifferent to cost issues. The last auto contract included so many givebacks, on top of revisions in an earlier pact, that Ron Gettelfinger, the UAW president, was threatened with a rank-and-file rebellion.

He told a House committee last month that because of "these painful concessions," the gap in labor costs between the Detroit-based auto companies and the "foreign transplant operations," as he called Toyota and the others, "will be largely or completely eliminated by the end of the contracts."

Appearing Sunday on CNN, Gettelfinger signaled his union was prepared to make further concessions. So the burden this week should be on the CEOs to explain how this rescue could be a good deal.

Unlike the other bailouts, this one could provide a model for how management and labor might team up to create better companies in a fairer, more productive economy. If this actually happened, the taxpayers would get their money's worth. But if all that's on offer is a plan to buy the CEOs a few more months or years, they should drive back to Detroit empty-handed.

Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post.

3:59 am - Bush's last days see more anti-labor rules pushed through. Bush issued an executive order on Monday that denies collective bargaining rights to 8,600 more federal employees, including those in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the grounds that belonging to a union is incompatible with national security. This claim flies in the face of the fact that people in that Bureau had been union members for 30 years with no previous threat to national security. The New York Times reports:

Some Federal Workers Lose Bargaining Rights

By ROBERT PEAR

WASHINGTON — President Bush issued an executive order on Monday that denies collective bargaining rights to about 8,600 federal employees who work in law enforcement, intelligence and other agencies responsible for national security.

Mr. Bush said it would be inconsistent with “national security requirements” to allow those employees to engage in collective bargaining with respect to the conditions of their employment.

Among those affected are 5,000 employees of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is now part of the Justice Department.

Scott M. Stanzel, a White House spokesman, said that 4,000 of those employees had not chosen to participate in collective bargaining. But he said that 900 were represented by collective bargaining units.

Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said that employees at the alcohol, tobacco and firearms agency had just “had their collective bargaining rights stripped away for no justifiable reason.”

The union said it represented 1,600 employees at the agency. Those employees have had collective bargaining rights for more than 30 years, with no indication that the rights interfered with the agency’s mission, Ms. Kelley said.

“We will work with the new administration to overturn this move by President Bush to deny these employees basic workplace rights in the 11th hour of his administration,” Ms. Kelley said.

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 gave bargaining rights to federal employees, but allowed the president to exclude groups of employees from coverage.

Mr. Bush’s order affects certain employees at the Energy Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Air Marshal Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration.

8:55 am - Note: As the result of a motion at the last membership meeting, the membership meeting for December has been moved to Friday December 12, 2008 for the Local's Christmas Party.

8:45 am - With Bargaining for the AT&T core contract coming up, it is interesting to see where the AT&T spends its money. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson's 2007 compensation was listed at $21,981,984 according to the SEC. That translates to about $10,568 an hour, or $176 a minute. Stephenson's compensation is equal to the yearly salary of 54 US presidents or 13 Nobel Prize winners or 744 average workers. Just FYI for when the company claims it doesn't have any money in bargaining.

8:33 am - While the nation voted for change by electing a labor friendly president, the current president is trying to rush some anti-labor rules through before the end of his term. The AFL-CIO reports:

The AFL-CIO updates a rushed effort by the Bush Labor Department to pass a horrible rule that would likely expose more workers to toxic substances on the job. The lame duck quacketh, especially since President-Elect Barack Obama has made it plain that he opposes the rule and the new Congress seems likely to junk the thing unless everyone "forgets":

Topping Bush’s List: A Rule Making It Harder to Regulate Toxic Substancesby Mike Hall, Dec 1, 2008

The nation’s voters may have cast their ballots overwhelmingly for change Nov. 4, but the Bush administration’s drive to weaken worker safety laws and reward its corporate friends is far from dead.

In November, we reported on the Bush administration’s last-minute assault on the public with a slew of end-of-term, no congressional-approval-needed regulations that could roll back or weaken rules on job safety, family leave, airline safety and pollution.

Over the holiday weekend, The New York Times reported that one of the top items on Bush’s move-out checklist is the “secret rule” that could lead to increased exposure of workers to dangerous chemicals and toxins by changing the way worker exposure is measured.

The Labor Department is racing to complete a new rule, strenuously opposed by President-elect Barack Obama, that would make it much harder for the government to regulate toxic substances and hazardous chemicals to which workers are exposed on the job. The rule…has strong support from business groups.

AFL-CIO Safety and Health Director Peg Seminario told the Times:

This rule is being pushed through by an administration that, for the last seven and a half years, has failed to set any new OSHA health rules to protect workers, except for one issued pursuant to a court order…the administration is rushing to lock in place requirements that would make it more difficult for the next administration to protect workers.

While in the Senate and on the campaign trail, Obama was highly critical of the proposed rule, joining with other senators in a letter to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao urging the rule be dropped.

If the rule is finalized, it could be rescinded under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). Under the CRA, a regulation that is enacted within 60 days of congressional adjournment can be reviewed and overturned by a simple majority vote in both houses and Senate filibusters are not allowed.

11/06/08

10:00 am - Update: Last Friday, we posted the state of the Capital Metro negotiations. Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) members forwarded the following message late yesterday.

This morning over 800 bus drivers and maintenance staff, members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1091, went on strike against Austin's transit authority, Capitol Metro. Despite strong, spirited pickets today by hundreds of striking members, they still need help from union brothers/sisters and sympathetic members of the community in their fight against the Metro's proposed concessions.

Come join us tomorrow as we show our solidarity and support for the strikers tomorrow at 4:30 pm in front of Capital Metro's headquarters at 5th and Pleasant Valley.

Go out at 4:30 today and help our union brothers and sisters in their fight against Capital Metro.

9:54 am - Becky Moeller, President of the Texas AFL-CIO issued the following press release regarding the Presidential and Statewide elections:

By their vote, the American people decided to cut ties to the recent past and embark on a new course. Barack Obama’s historic victory came in a campaign in which economic issues and the concerns of working families dominated. Americans clearly decided that government does have a role to play in the pursuit of prosperity.

The Obama victory also validates a desire to break away from the polarizing politics that characterized the last 16 years. We believe the principle of bipartisanship needs to return to the Texas Legislature. Texans cannot afford another legislative session dominated by ideological struggle and partisan recrimination. We need a Legislature that will pursue good jobs, health care for more Texans, a great education system and a sound infrastructure.

For the third election in a row, Democrats gained in the Texas House despite a statewide environment still dominated by Republicans. That suggests Texans are looking for more balance in state government. We hope lawmakers find that balance in the 2009 legislative session as our state addresses damage to the economy, the effects of natural disasters and the need to build for our future.

The Texas AFL-CIO knows as well as anyone how to play the political game in elections, but now is the time for wise governance that offers all Texans, including working families, a place at the table.

9:45 am - John Sweeney, President of the National AFL-CIO had the following remarks in the wake of the historic election on November 4th:

Congratulations to everyone who poured blood, sweat and tears into this election. You have won for working families a great opportunity—and a great responsibility.

We have the real opportunity to turn around America and get our economy back on the right track. We are responsible for holding our elected leaders to the promises they made during their campaigns and providing the public support they need to make tough legislative choices on our behalf.

So thank you for all your hard work educating and mobilizing voters—and don't stop now.

Now we have to tackle the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Hardworking families are losing jobs, homes, health care, retirement savings and hope. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been committed to rescuing Wall Street—but almost nothing has been done to rescue Main Street. (more...)

11/05/08

4:59 pm - We have had a request from several of our members to post the following notice:

Christian John Aaron, age 30, of San Antonio, TX, formally of Austin, TX passed away Sunday, November 2, 2008. He is survived by his daughter, Lyndsey Nicole Aaron; father, John Martin Aaron; mother, Kim Un Sim; ex-wife, Heather Aaron; two brothers, two sisters and several aunts, uncles and cousins. The family will receive friends 9:00 a.m., Friday, November 7, 2008 at St. Catherine of Siena. A mass of Christian burial to follow at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be at 2:15 p.m., Friday, November 7, 2008 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, TX.

Chrsitian Aaron was the son of John Aaron who was a longtime member of Local 6132. He was known by many current members. Our condolences go out to John Aaron and his family during this time of loss. Link to obituary page with the option to sign a guestbook for the family.

10/31/08

3:47 pm - Capital Metro workers who belong to the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) have rejected the latest contract offered by Capital Metro. In a rally today, workers were offered a temporary deal to prevent a strike. More info in the official press release.

Council Member Martinez offers a solution to Transit Labor Negotiations

Today at Plaza Saltillo, Council Member Mike Marinez was joined by elected officials and community leaders to propose an alternative to the current contract being negotiated between Star Tran and ATU Local 1091. This morning ATU announced a work stoppage by its members to begin on November 5.

The proposed plan is for 2 years and includes the following:

a retroactive pay increase of 3% for 2007-2008 and in increase of 2.5% for 2008-2009

accept Star Tran's proposed health care package

eliminate proposed tiered wage system

conduct an independent audit of CapMetro by a mutually agreed upon Auditor to be completed prior to July 2009

Council Member Martinez asked ATU members to not follow through with a work stoppage, return to the negotiation table to consider this new proposal and avoid a strike at a time when Central Texas cannot afford one. "The wage increases in this proposal are comparable to local public secotr union employees for last year and the current year. Everyone's healthcare costs are increasing and although I realize it is difficult for employees to bear additional costs related to health care, the proposed plan is equal to or better than all public sector employees in the Central Texas region," said Council Member Martinez.

Council Member Martinez was joined by State Representatives Eddie Rodriguez and Dawnna Dukes, Mayor Pro Tem Brewster McCracken, City Council Members Lee Leffingwell and Laura Morrison, County Commissioner Judge Sam Bisco, County Clerk Dana Debeauvoir, NAACP President Nelson Linder and former Council Memembers Bill Spelman and Louis Malfaro.

Star Tran is a contractor for the Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority whose employees make up the bulk of the transit agencies drivers and mechanics.

"As a City Coucil, we have changed many of our land development codes to guide development to areas where there is mass transit. As a region, we are investing in rail and rapid bus systems so it is critical that we find a way to maximize the limited funds available to support and develop a vital workforce in an equitable and respectful manner," said Council Member Martinez. "A full external, independent audit will allow us to bring transparency and accountability to an agency that in some ways has lost the trust and confidence of the work force and the community. It is through this full disclosure that we will begin to build a bridge of trust mand move to a better and brighter future for Captial Metro and the Austin region."

ATU is reviewing the agreement but maintain that they will strike on November 5, if some acceptable agreement is not reached.

With CWA negotiating several contracts in the future, lets support our fellow union workers in thier fight for a decent job with decent compensation.

2:45 pm Happy Halloween!! There are only about 4 hours left to vote early. Hit the polls!