AT&T contracts with AT&T Midwest and AT&T Legacy workers expired over the weekend and the Communications Workers of America union, which represents the workers, said workers are prepared for an AT&T strike if progress at the bargaining table is not made. The contracts cover 14,000 workers, according to CWA or about five percent of AT&T’s work force, according to AT&T.
AT&T Midwest is the former Ameritech region – Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. AT&T Legacy includes workers nationwide.
AT&T Strike?
In a press release, CWA Vice President of Telecommunications & Technologies Lisa Bolton said AT&T is demanding “insulting” concessions from workers.
When AT&T was lobbying for corporate tax reform last year, the company pledged to increase its investment in the U.S. by $1 billion and AT&T CEO and Chairman Randall Stephenson said proposed reforms would “stimulate job creations.”
Those tax reforms were adopted and in a statement about possible AT&T strike plans, CWA District 4 Vice President Linda L. Hinton referenced AT&T’s commitments.
“Our members remember the big promises that AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson made if the corporate tax cut bill passed and now we’re holding AT&T to those promises,” said Hinton.
Hinton cautioned AT&T not to underestimate CWA members. “They are ready to do whatever it takes to get a fair contract,” she said, “including going on strike if we aren’t able to make progress at the bargaining table.”
In response to an email from Telecompetitor, AT&T said: “As in all our contract negotiations, we’re committed to working together with the union to reach fair agreements that will allow us to continue to provide solid union-represented careers with excellent wages and benefits. We’re continuing to bargain with the union and we’re confident that an agreement will be reached.”
AT&T also noted that it negotiated five contracts with CWA in 2017 and the first part of 2018. Those contracts cover nearly 70,000 union-represented employees and each contract includes annual wage increases and “solid” benefits, AT&T said.
Image courtesy of flickr user graham.
So did these union members vote for Trump? If not, it is pretty rich that they want a piece of that bonus that non union workers at AT&T received ($1,000 per employee). Oh by the way, remember when the left called it "crumbs?" Irony.
The truth is, AT&T employees have undergone training and are prepared, even happy to cover strike duty while these babies strike over a desire for more pay regardless of merit, regardless of the fact that the non-union AT&T employees are not getting pay increases.
Oh, and the absolute best part. The union is upset because they have to pay more in healthcare. Everyone at the company, just like most Americans in general, is paying more in healthcare, Obamacare is expensive. So the union doesn't want to help pay the increasing costs of healthcare alongside their non-union members.
This will not end well for Communications Workers of America.