AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #50

Today, our bargaining team continued to meet with the federal mediator and AT&T’s representatives in an effort to move towards reaching an agreement. The company requested mediation earlier this week, and our bargaining team thought that mediation might help us reach an agreement, considering the company’s bad faith tactics at the bargaining table. While mediation has proven to be helpful, it got off to a slow start, as we had to spend some time bringing the mediator up to speed on the issues that we have been bargaining over for the last two months. Additionally, when we started mediation, the company wanted to utilize an attorney as their chief negotiator. This delayed progress at the bargaining table as our bargaining team doesn’t need an attorney to speak for them and the company’s team shouldn’t either. We informed the mediator that we didn't feel that bargaining with an attorney was going to be productive, as we need to have discussions with someone who has a working knowledge of the issues our members face on a daily basis in the workplace. Our bargaining team explained to the federal mediator that mediation could be helpful, but only if the company brought the appropriate representatives to the table. At our request, the company agreed to remove the attorney from the position as their chief negotiator. As of today, we are still not satisfied that AT&T has a real decision maker at the table. We can say that we have made some very minor movement in the right direction. Today, marks the third day of mediation, and we have had some constructive dialogue on the issues. Unfortunately, AT&T has continued their refusal to honor the previous agreement reached with CWA concerning bargaining over the southeast healthcare costs, which are much lower than the company’s national average. Our bargaining team has been working around the clock trying to reach an agreement. Progress has been slow, and it is clear to us that we will have to continue fighting in order to get the contract our members deserve. Our bargaining team will continue negotiations late into the evening tonight. We continue to be inspired by the unity that exists within the membership across District 3. Your actions on the picket line are making a difference and giving our bargaining team the strength we need. We need everyone to continue fighting with us. Together, we are showing AT&T that CWA doesn’t play. Remember.......they're not like us!