CWA/AT&T Midwest Bargaining Report #94

March 26, 2019

Fighting Today…Focused on the Future!

As we meet today, we have not reached an acceptable agreement with AT&T on a contract. We know this is frustrating for our members, because it is frustrating for us.

The Union has been intricately investigating many of the benefits components contained in the Company’s previous proposals. The Company, however, has been unable to provide some of these details as they appear to not even know themselves what they mean. As we all know, the devil is always in the details and without knowing those details we cannot make an assessment of the impact on the membership. We have made requests to the Company for information, but response times have been painfully slow in many instances.

Your bargaining committee is committed to reaching an agreement that moves all members forward in every year of the agreement. We will not accept an offer that is undefined, subject to change, or contains hidden items and pitfalls. If the Company wants to reach an agreement, it is time for them to get serious about participating in this process.

Your message to this bargaining committee was, and is, still loud and clear:

Protect Our Healthcare

Provide Real Employment Security

Move Everyone Forward

In order to reach a deal that the members will support, the agreement must address those key issues. Despite your Union working for over a year to try and do just that, the Company still doesn’t seem to understand that you are serious. We need to double down on our mobilization actions, ask your supervisors, second levels, and directors why the Company isn’t serious about addressing your issues. Stand up and be heard so that we can all achieve a fair contract.

CWA Local 4621 President Joe Olson testified before Congress today to talk about AT&T’s broken promises and how his union members and his community of Appleton, Wisconsin are affected. You can watch his testimony here beginning around the 40 minute mark. Well done Joe!

Your CWA District 4 Bargaining Team:

Curt Hess

Tina Culver

Dan Frazier

Kim Gallardo

Tim Strong

Greg Tennyson

Jay Walther

Ron Gay

Mike Handley