CWA Local 9416

Bargaining Bulletin #59

CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #59
Friday, May 29, 2009

Our bargaining picture hasn’t changed much this week. The Company still has not responded to our Health Care proposal. We have met in subcommittee meetings and continued discussion on term to perm as well as Article 2 issues that would provide for adding hardships and term employees into the normal sequence to fill a vacancy. We argued for a Mini transfer process that eliminates the game playing of “force balancing” rather than a “true” mini-transfer. We pressed on the issues regarding ST/MST upgrade including continued training for the new MST’s. No agreements have been reached as yet.

We regret many of you had problems getting on the CWA AT&T Unity e- Meeting. You can watch it on www.cwa-union.org/emeeting.

Thanks to the more than 500 of you from virtually every local in District 9 who participated in the demonstrations in Carlsbad and Oakland this week.
Keep up the good work!
STRIKE STANDBY DAY 55!

IN UNITY,
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado

Mobilize Mobilize Mobilize
1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future

Bargaining Bulletin #58

CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #58
Wednesday, May 27, 2009

This is an update to Bulletin #30 which we reported to you on April 4th. As you can see, we did not have to make many changes to that report. The company is clearly stalling. It is apparent that the Company has NO INTENT OR DESIRE to reach a FAIR and JUST CONTRACT! LISTED BELOW ARE THE RETROGRESSIVE PROPOSALS THE COMPANY PRESENTED TO THE UNION THAT ARE STILL ON THE BARGAINING TABLE. WE WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT THE UNION HAS NOT AGREED TO ANY OF THESE PROPOSALS:

HEALTH CARE – This Company proposal creates a two tier structure for
health care, one for new hires and one for current employees. Both plans have high premiums, deductibles and out of pocket costs that the current plan does not have. The Company still maintains that they have no intent or desire to bargain for current retirees. On May 2nd, the Union proposed a plan that would save the company approximately 30 Million dollars over a 3 year period. The company has yet to respond to this proposal.
WAGES – Wages are still on the table. The Company’s proposal is a 5½% wage increase over 5 years with two 2% lump sum payments. We have proposed 4% per year with cola.
PENSIONS – Pension Protection Act will be applied to Lump Sum Pensions which eliminates the GATT Rate and applies the Corporate Bond Rate. This will reduce lump sum pensions taken after January 1, 2010. They have proposed a 1%/yr band increase with no future lump sum accrual and no pension for the Premises Technicians. We have proposed to retain GATT, a pension band increase which matches the wage increase and applies to Premises Technicians.

PREMISES TECHNICIANS – The Company proposal consists of elimination of Sunday premium payments, eliminates the ability to carry over vacation time and eliminates payment for any absence other than personal illness. In addition, they propose that Premises Tech’s perform all work from the SAI to CPE regardless of the technology. As if it couldn’t get any worse, anyone moved into appendix E voluntarily, or forced in by the Company, would lose their current benefits permanently except already accrued pension, even if they return back to Core titles. The company proposes that anyone transferring out of Appendix E would be stuck with Appendix E’s lack of benefits and would not be eligible for pension accrual.

OVERTIME- The company proposal would increase the 49 hr rule to 51 hr rule, eliminate voluntary OT, and would assign overtime as they deem necessary, especially to prevent double time.

LEVERAGED TITLES – This Company proposal would two tier Service Representative Work with a 60/40 pay schedule which would put 40% of pay at risk based on sales. The sales plan would be controlled by management with no input from the Union.

SURPLUS Process – The Company proposal eliminates the Employment Security Commitment, provides for straight-to-layoff after 30 days, forced placement throughout the Western Region, increases commutability to 95 miles, eliminates more senior volunteers, and cuts the reassignment pay protection plan.

NIGHT DIFFERENTIAL- Only applies to shifts ending after 11:00PM and before 6:00AM.

ILLNESS- All Employees will have at least one day of waiting before pay starts for illness.

PARTIALS- Eliminate payment for partial day illnesses.

UNPAID FMLA TIME OFF – Company will require substitution of contractual paid time off.

TEAM PERFORMANCE AWARD- Company proposes to eliminate.

THE COMPANY HAS NOT AGREED TO UNION PROPOSALS TO EXTEND THE FOLLOWING MOA’S THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE 2009 AGREEMENT: CARD CHECK NEUTRALITY AGREEMENT, EMPLOYMENT SECURITY COMMITTMENT(Job Offer Guarantee ), ERB. MOVEMENT OF WORK/CONTRACTING OUT – Company has rejected.

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE REFORM- The Company is only willing to write a letter.

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL- Company proposes ill defined council with no dispute resolution process.

SERVICE RECOGNITION-The Company is still unwilling to grant service
credit for previous AT&T service.

The current contract expired at midnight April 4, 2009, and we are still far,
far, far, apart on all major issues.
“NO CONTRACT NO PEACE”
UNITED WE BARGAIN………………..
DIVIDED WE BEG!!!!!!!!!!!!
STRIKE STANDBY DAY 53!

IN UNITY,
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers

Mobilize! Mobilize! Mobilize!
1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future

Bargaining Bulletin #57

CWA District 9/AT&T West Bargaining Bulletin #57 Wednesday, May 20, 2009

This week we met in formal session and subcommittee with some minor progress at the table. The company is still showing interest in our healthcare proposal and has requested more time to prepare their response. The next session is scheduled for Tuesday May 26th.

We were also on a conference call with District 9 VP Jim Weitkamp and local presidents to discuss bargaining status and strategy.

From the Mobilizing Committee

Next week is Memorial Day week, and many of our Congressional leaders will be in their home districts. They need to hear from you, their constituents. We are asking them to contact Randall Stephenson and express their concern (and distaste) that a Very profitable company is demanding drastic increases in the amount its employees pay for health care. If anything, AT&T should be helping to support solutions to this problem instead of just shifting costs. AT&T needs the support of Congress for many of its long-term plans. They need to be shown there is a price for attacking their workers and retirees. Contact your local about how you can help. Retirees can be particularly helpful with this activity.

STRIKE STANDBY DAY 46!

IN UNITY,
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga

Mobilize Mobilize Mobilize

1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future

Employee Free Choice Act commercials during Dodger games

Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO is running Employee Free Choice Act commercials during Dodger games on KABC 790. Check out the link below to hear the commercial.

http://launionaflcio.org/fullstory/?id=1076

Michael Rubio’s letter to Randall Stephenson

Michael Rubio, Supervisor-Fifth District letter to Randall Stephenson, CEO AT&T.

AT&TCWALetterofSupport.pdf

Bargaining Bulletin #56

CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #56
Monday, May 18, 2009

Our committee continues to meet in caucus and in subcommittee with the company on a broad range of
issues of concern to our members.

From the Mobilizing Committee News of our successful rallies and events held last week continues to come in, as mobilization activities continue here in District 9 and across the country. These events, as well as our San Francisco event last Thursday, were all part of a national, coordinated mobilization focused on the delivery of our 80,000 on-line petition signatures.

More mobilizing events are in the works, including a Thursday rally by 9421 and a large march and rally in Oakland on May 28.

You can see photos of mobilization around the AT&T footprint, in all states and Districts, by clicking on http://www.cwa-union.org/att/ and going to “photos.”

Legislative Effort Heats Up
CWA’s legislative and political teams are targeting state congressional delegations next week, scheduling dozens of meetings coast to coast to make sure that our Members of Congress understand what is at stake at the bargaining table, and what AT&T’s proposals mean to working people. Our rank and file teams are seeking letters of support from MOCs. Here in District 9, the effort is well underway. Stay tuned for results!

Don’t forget to sign the bargaining support petition if you haven’t already, and be sure to get your friends and family members to sign. We can get more than 100,000 supporters on record with an additional push. Here is the website: www.standwithworkers.com

STRIKE STANDBY DAY 44!

IN UNITY,
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez

Mobilize! Mobilize! Mobilize!
1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future

Bargaining Bulletin #55

CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #55
Friday May 15, 2009
This week, for the first time, elected bargainers and staff and VPs from every table were on a conference call together with the three top officers of the CWA (Larry Cohen, Annie Hill, and Jeff Rechenbach) to talk about strategy, key issues, and how we can better support each other. We all recognize that there are proposals that will be the same from table to table, like the National Transfer Plan, but there are many, like health care, which might have different solutions from table to table.

We continued the week with subcommittee meetings where we had extensive discussion regarding monitoring. We also had several subcommittee meetings to discuss Terms to Perm, ST/MST, mini transfer, force balancing, relocation expense, and reassignment pay protection.

From the Mobilizing Committee Don’t forget to sign the bargaining support petition if you haven’t already, and be sure to get your friends and family members to sign. We can get more than 100,000 supporters on record with an additional push.

Here is the website: www.standwithworkers.com
STRIKE STANDBY DAY 41!

IN UNITY,
William B. Harvey
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion

District 6 “last, best, and final offer”

By now, you have probably read that AT&T has put their “last, best and final” offer to the Union in District 6, the AT&T Southwest area.  A “last, best and final” offer is usually made by a company to signal that they have reached a “bottom line”.  What does this mean for us?

The main thing you need to communicate is that bargaining will continue at our table.  Each Contract is separate, and we will continue to fight for the issues that are important to our members.

Second, it does not mean that negotiations are over, even in District 6.  The Company has not said it will implement this offer.  If they did, they have to prove they have reached “impasse” in negotiations with the Union, and they are far from that.  There are still many proposals on the table where there can continue to be movement.

Third, there are different Company offers on Health Care and many other aspects of this agreement at each table.  This offer is very different from what has been offered at our table.  In fact, we are dealing with many different issues in each unit, and bargaining will continue at our table.  There has not been any such “last, best and final” proposal made at our table, nor do we expect one.

Finally, although this offer is not what is at our table, our members should not be fooled by it.  The devil is in the details.  The Company did not list all the retrogressive parts of their proposal.  Also, notice it does not address retiree health care at all.

They key thing is for you continue to mobilize and make clear to the company that we are continuing to fight for a fair contract.

Here is a link to the District 6 AT&T offer with all the details.

Letter From Senator Dean Florez

Here is a letter that our legislative chair , Rob Englund, was able to get from Senator Dean Florez. Senator Dean Florez.

Bargaining Bulletin #54

CWA District 9/AT&T West
Bargaining Bulletin #54
Tuesday, May 12, 2009

You may be hearing that the company has made a final offer to CWA in District 6 (The old Southwest Bell Telephone). This is not the case here in District 9. We are still bargaining. Keep the faith! We will keep you advised as events warrant.
STRIKE STANDBY DAY 38!

IN UNITY,
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey

Mobilize! Mobilize! Mobilize!

1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future