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Thank you for submitting a question for our recent online e-Meeting on AT&T Bargaining.
We had more than 20,000 CWA members watch the meeting live and another 11,275 viewed it afterwards from our website.
We received more than 3,300 questions. Obviously we were unable to get to all the questions during the course of the 30-minute meeting. We did address the most frequently asked questions during the meeting.
I wanted to get back to you with a more complete list of the answers to your questions. I have selected the ten most frequently submitted questions which cover approximately 75 percent of all questions submitted.
Many of the districts are also answering the most frequently asked questions and posting them on their websites.
Most Frequently Submitted Questions to the E-Meeting
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Q1. |
What has the management offered on health care and where are we on this issue in bargaining? |
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A. |
We knew that AT&T management was going to bring up health care in these negotiations. Management's proposals in this area have been far more extreme than anything we expected.
There are some differences in the current health care plans in each of the agreements. Currently, the average annual cost share paid by employees ranges from approximately $1,100 - $1,500, or 8 to 14 percent of the total cost depending on the contract. AT&T's original proposal increased the annual cost share per employee to $3,800-$5,700, or 40-45 percent of the total cost. Management's second proposal modified that annual cost shift to $2,800 - $4,200, as much as three times the amount some members pay currently. This is totally unacceptable from an employer as profitable and successful as AT&T. |
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Q2. |
What about retiree health care? |
A. |
So far, AT&T has been unwilling to hold any discussions about health care for current retirees, a subject that is very important to us. |
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Q3. |
Why are we not on strike? |
A. |
Strike action remains a powerful tool for us and it's a tool we may yet use.
As negotiations go forward, we need to act strategically. That means thinking ahead several moves and knowing where each step will take us.
We need to build support from elected officials and know that they're on our side, not just in words but in their actions. We are currently contacting members of Congress and asking them to send a letter to Randall Stephenson in support of our bargaining efforts with AT&T, especially in the area of health care. We need to engage the public in our campaign because the company will react to pressure from consumers.
These steps are critical, especially if we determine that a strike is necessary to gain quality contracts. In that case, it's essential that we have the backing of our communities and the public support of elected officials. That, plus our solidarity, is what will move AT&T. |
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Q4. | How long can we legally work without a contract? |
A. | CWA members have been working without a contract since April 5, and understandably, many of our members are anxious and concerned about how we get to a new contract. There is no legal restriction on the amount of time a unit can work without a contract. From CWA's perspective, we want to continue to act strategically. That means building our resources like support from community and elected officials, keeping up our internal and external mobilization actions that are making a real difference, and working at the bargaining table to move the process forward.
We'll stand together as long as it takes to get fair contracts at AT&T. As we've said before, strike action remains a powerful tool for us. |
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Q5. | Why is it taking so long to negotiate a contract? |
A. | That's a good question to put to AT&T management. Why is a company that is very successful -- posting more than $3 billion in the first quarter of this year and $12.9 billion for 2008 -- trying to cut the standard of living for AT&T employees? |
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Q6. | Why is a successful company like AT&T comparing itself to the struggling auto industry? |
A. | The answer, sadly, is that AT&T was speculating that it could scare our members into accepting huge cost increases in health care. But at the same time, AT&T is telling Wall Street and analysts that the company is on track for solid growth, that average landline revenues per household increased by two percent, and that the company's first quarter profit beat Wall Street expectations.
We've said all along that AT&T has to be a leader in helping our nation move out of economic crisis and back into prosperity. That doesn't happen when a healthy, successful company tries to cut workers' standard of living. |
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Q7. | What is CWA doing to get our side of the story in front of the public? |
A. | We've been doing a number of things.
CWA put in place an Internet media campaign that reaches every AT&T district and community. So far it's been hugely successful, gaining about 90,000 signatures of support on a petition to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson. That petition calls on the company to reject corporate greed and bargain fair contracts. We will be presenting those petitions at rallies held around the country the week of May 11th. These signatures of support came from viewers of Facebook, CNN.com, top national newspapers online and many other Internet outlets. In the next phase of our Internet campaign, we're building more support among activists and progressives most likely to take action to support our contract fight.
Across the districts, locals are talking with reporters in their areas to make sure our message is clear. We're also working with national newspaper reporters like the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and others, national radio outlets like CNN radio, and other media to keep our message strong. |
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Q8. | What is being done for Prem Techs? |
A. | Across the different contracts, Prem Techs are covered by different wages and benefits from other technicians. One of our major goals is to dramatically improve the compensation and working conditions for the members that work in that title. To date, AT&T has not been willing to engage in discussion that addresses our concerns. The only thing they have proposed so far is a very modest wage increase over and above the base wage increase that would be negotiated for other AT&T employees. We know that is not enough and are committed to improvements for our members in this title. |
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Q9. | I'm concerned about the 60/40 wage proposal for customer service reps. |
A. | AT&T has proposed a new title that would have a leveraged wage structure of 60/40. Base wages would account for 60 percent and 40 percent would be at risk. Their proposal was structured to give them total control over all compensation for this title. The committees at all of the tables where this was presented rejected that initial proposal. To date, AT&T has not initiated any additional conversation about their proposal. Our goal is to continue to provide good base wages and good working conditions for our customer service reps. |
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| Q10. | What has been offered on pensions and does management want to do away with lump sum? |
A. | Pension plans vary among the contracts. Initially AT&T did propose elimination of the lump sum option but eliminated that demand from subsequent proposals. |
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Q11. | What political pressure can we bring to bear on the management of this company? |
A. | We have an ongoing campaign to build support among elected officials at every level of government. Our initial goal is getting letters of support from 200 members of Congress. We plan to grow this support in every community, from city council members and mayors to state elected leaders and governors.
That's where every CWA member comes in. We need you to contact your members of Congress and ask for their support in demanding that AT&T get serious about bargaining.
We're also asking the more than 90,000 people who have signed our online petition so far to contact their members of Congress – their Representative and Senators – and ask them to send a letter to AT&T's CEO Randall Stephenson supporting CWA in our fight for fair contracts. |
If you haven't signed the petition yet, go to www.standupforworkers.com. Get ten co-workers and friends to sign it too, and ask them to have their friends and co-workers sign on.
In Unity,
Annie Hill
Executive Vice President |
