AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #5

Over the past weekend, your bargaining teams finalized numerous proposals to present to the Company.  Negotiations officially opened today with statements from both the Company and the Union. The Company stressed the need to be flexible, considering many of its competitors are non-union employers.  D3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt pointed out three important principles to the Company – responsibility, respect, and loyalty.  VP Honeycutt emphasized the need for the Company to be loyal to its employees, our members, as they are the face of the Company.  VP Honeycutt also invited Rita Scott, President CWA D3 Retired Members Council to address the Company. She reminded the Company of the need to provide benefits for retirees, as their income is stagnate while their healthcare costs continue to rise.

The Union presented proposals to improve healthcare for all current employees and retirees; job security for our members; a significant wage increase for all; and improvements in pension, 401k, and disability plans.  Your bargaining teams are determined to resist the proposed recessions the Company will present, and striving to attain the best contract we can from a multi-billion dollar corporation that began negotiations by explaining how they cannot afford to maintain the current benefits our members have already fought to achieve.  It is time this company recognizes that its employees are the basis of its profitability, and it is time for us to have a fair share of those profits.  Contact your locals to see what the mobilizers have planned to show the company that we will be heard and that we mean business.  Let’s all STAND UNITED to gain what we have earned.  MOBILIZE! MOBILIZE! MOBILIZE!