CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #87
June 17, 2009
This report is for Wednesday June 17, 2009. The CWA Bargaining committee was released to return home today. This was due to the fact that AT&T has not made any significant movement on many of the major issues and continues to hold numerous items of the contract hostage to its demand to shift significant health care costs to bargaining unit members. The committee has been at the table for 4 months now with little time away. The committee will be recalled at the appropriate time or when there is an indication that negotiations can move forward.
Until that time there will be nothing new to report.
United We Bargain……………………………………
Divided We Beg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report # 86
June 16, 2009
This report is for Tuesday June 16, 2009. There were no meetings today between the parties as AT&T refused to meet CWA demands for AT&T to get all the missing items back on the table so negotiations could move forward and the status quo could be regained. AT&T continues its demand to shift significant costs to our members for health care and still holds major items of the agreement hostage to these demands. Due to this, there is no progress to report.
United We Bargain …………………………………………
Divided We Beg !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report # 85
June 15, 2009
This report is for Monday June 15, 2009
The CWA and AT&T bargaining committees met informally today and continued discussions on numerous issues. We once again indicated to AT&T that they needed to get everything back on the table that was missing and went through a lengthy list of items that would get us back to status quo. AT&T’s continued demand for shifting significant cost of the health care plan to our members, and the relationship of benefits to wages and other economic items was central to the discussions. AT&T wishes to reduce or not renew such items as Cost of Living Adjustments, very small Pension Increases and no continued use of the GATT Rate for Lump Sum Pension Calculations, shift the Team Performance Award to a Success Sharing Plan which we believe will produce a reduced pay out vs. what the TPA provides today. These coupled with less than adequate wage increases would not even come close to making up for these changes and still keeping our members at their current standard of living.
United We Bargain……………………………………………………………….
Divided we Beg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #81
June 12, 2009
This bargaining report is for Thursday, June 12, 2009. CWA met with AT&T to continue informal discussions. AT&T provided some numbers and information that CWA had requested so we could look at a different approach on health care. AT&T indicated it would withdraw various proposals and some letters on change in custom and practice. AT&T indicated they would make some revisions to the Employment Security Commitment/JOG and to the Temporary Employee Conversion proposal. Current Sales Incentive Plans were discussed and employees eligibility to participate in those plans. CWA indicated that we would consider these changes and respond.
CWA brought forward several situations pertaining to AT&T’s UNACCEPTABLE behavior of Premise Technicians in areas dealing with work performance, appropriate counseling and development by management, and treating all employees with due respect. Exhaustion due to extensive work load, overtime, or heat due to working in attics, especially in spring and summer months and the need for time to recuperate without fear of discipline was discussed. The coverage of appropriate safety practices with Premise Technicians, especially for working in attics and now the requirement that Premise Technicians place ground rods. Things as common as filling an ice bucket in the morning vs. having to do it the evening before just so management can get PT’s out of the yard in 15 minutes. Ridiculing employees in front of their peers by giving them self resignation forms or placing condescending messages on bulletin boards that those at the bottom may wish to consider seeking other employment. Unfair efficiency ratings that do not take all issues into account. CWA indicated these things must be corrected and that it had to stop.
If these types of things are going on in your workplaces, please report them to your Local Union.
The parties hope to meet again tomorrow.
UNITED WE BARGAIN………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!
CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #80
June 11, 2009
This bargaining report is for Wednesday, June 10, 2009. Today the CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committee met in informal bargaining sessions. Numerous items were discussed including the Employment Security Commitment, Job Offer Guarantee (JOG), On Call Duty, Force Adjustment, Severance Pay, Temporary Employees, Informal Surplus Memorandum of Agreement, Revenue Management Representative Task Force, Operator Services Task Force, Communications Consultant Task Force, Hometown Job Security Memorandum of Agreement, Appendix D Supplemental Statements, CWA/NETT, Vacation Portability Memorandum of Agreement, and Expedited Arbitration Memorandum Of Agreement.
CWA questioned the status of other Letters of Agreements that were not raised by AT&T such as the Service Representative Task Force Agreement, MOA on Monitoring, extending the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), other supplemental statements that are currently in force, and change in custom and practice letters that CWA wants the Company to withdraw.
There was a lengthy discussion in regards to Premise Technicians and their Wages and Work Rules. The Union stressed the importance that Premise Technicians needed major changes in these areas, and shared information received from the field on working conditions and treatment of Premise Technicians that were unacceptable.
Other items discussed were Leveraged Titles, Pensions/Lump Sum Pay Outs, Partial Sessions Absences, and Presidents Council.
UNITED WE BARGAIN……………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!
CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #79
June 10, 2009
This bargaining report is for Tuesday, June 9, 2009. Informal sessions took place today with the Company indicating they wanted to now move toward reaching a Final Agreement. The Company stated that they would like to know the Unions position on certain proposals.
The Company presented a summary of a benefit plan we had not seen before. We advised the Company we would review the plan and respond appropriately.
The BCB2 (Cash Balance Pension), Success Sharing Plan, Leverage Titles, Premises Technicians, and Wages were also discussed again.
The parties reconvened informally in the afternoon and CWA indicated that we were maintaining our bargaining position on all of the items and that the Company should be well aware of our position. CWA indicated we needed the entire contract back on the table to move forward.
CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #78
June 9, 2009
This bargaining report is for Monday, June 8, 2009. The CWA and AT&T Bargaining Committees met today to continue negotiations. The Company provided information on the mail-order program at CVS Pharmacies and using a walk-in process to receive mail-order prescriptions. The Company stated that all CVS pharmacies would provide service to our members. The Company also provided additional information pertaining to future Retirees Vision.
The Company stated that the information requested on Incentive Plans were still being collected. They also indicated that it was going to take some time to gather this information, since it was not centrally located. The Company would be referring the Union to a website that provides detailed information on the Marsh Plans, which provide various services to bargaining unit employees.
Discussions took place pertaining to the BCB2 (Cash Balance Plan), Pension, AT&T Retirement Savings Plan (ARSP), Catch up Contributions, and other provisions of the plan. The Union advised the Company that we would be reviewing the Medical Plan for New Hires and continue our review on the BCB2 (Cash Balance Plan) and the ARSP. We are scheduled to reconvene tomorrow.
STANDING TOGETHER……..
INVOLVED————-ENGAGED—————MOTIVATED————
UNITED WE BARGAIN…………………
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!
CWA/AT&T Bargaining Report #75
June 4, 2009
This bargaining report is for Wednesday, June 3, 2009. This morning CWA met with AT&T in a formal bargaining session. The Union asked numerous questions pertaining to the Prescription Drug Plan and being able to pick up mail order prescriptions from a local CVS pharmacy, versus them being shipped in the mail. The Union requested a list of the CVS pharmacies in the five state area by city so we could assess this option fully. The turn around time and implementation time line for this to occur was also discussed.
The Union had a list of important questions pertaining to AT&T’s Incentive Plan proposal. The Union would like to be sure that no employees will be excluded from participating in these programs, and whether the Company would continue to “gross up” on these plans. The Union requested additional questions on the AT&T proposal for the Success Sharing Plan, which would take the place of the Team Performance Award, but would be based solely on the rise of AT&T stock prices on a yearly basis. The SSP plan in its current form is clearly inferior to the existing TPA plan. Additional questions were raised on AT&Ts proposal on a National Transfer Plan, which continues to utilize the existing Intersubsidiary Movement Process and the existing Surplus Exchange program with some changes. The Company could not respond to all of our questions and will be providing additional information. Discussions around AT&T’s Retiree Vision Proposal were discussed, which include a monthly premium and additional costs in the plan. Your CWA Bargaining Committee continues to see little value in many of AT&T’s proposals that are included in their last, best, and final offer.
We are scheduled to reconvene tomorrow.
United We Bargain……………………..
Divided We Beg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Recent Comments