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.