News

AT&T SW Bargaining Report #14

Your CWA Bargaining Committee met with the Company on February 17, 2017, and then continued meeting over the weekend.  The Union questioned the Company on their package proposal of February 16, 2017, to fully understand what the Company had presented.  In addition, the CWA Committee had long discussions with the Company regarding:

  • The contracting out of work that could be performed by bargaining unit employees. 
  • New Technologies utilized for the deployment of satellite communication
  • Premises Technicians receiving a pay upgrade
  • The Employment Security Commitment

At this juncture in negotiations, the CWA Committee needs to clarify a matter regarding the Bargaining Reports we are sending out.  Early on, we sent out Bargaining Reports that listed everything that either your Bargaining Committee presented, or the Company’s Retrogressive first package proposal to the Union contained.  Since those first Bargaining Reports, the Union Committee has not, and will not, continue to send out each and every item that either the CWA Committee or the Company Committee presents at the negotiating table.  The reasons for this are two-fold:

  1. Your CWA Bargaining Committee has no intent to negotiate with the Company in the public domain.  Successful negotiations cannot occur with hundreds of people involved on an ongoing basis.

 

  1. Negotiations constantly change, both with the dialogue spoken at the bargaining table and with proposals and counter proposals.  It is impossible to ensure the complete ongoing snapshot of these types of reports, without mass confusion ensuing for those reading the summaries of ongoing negotiations.

We have written paragraphs 1 and 2 above in response to many of the Social Media postings that members of the CWA Bargaining Committee have observed.  It is obvious that employees are reading the Bargaining Reports.  That is a very good thing.  However, to read a report and not see a bargaining item that we did not include in the summary and to reach a wrong conclusion is counterproductive and a waste of emotion.  Because an item is not listed, does not mean both Committees are not negotiating on a later date on the matter, or that it has not been included with another demand.  Do not read and jump to conclusions or form opinions of what is actually taking place at the Negotiating Table.  Events are changing during negotiations every day, sometimes multiple times in a day.  The finished product of a tentative contract will look much different than the ongoing dialogue of everyday negotiations.  The Committee does appreciate the energy and commitment to mobilize that is taking place at your worksites.  Keep it up. 

Your Committee worked late into both Saturday and Sunday night in preparation of a Union Proposal package to present to the Company.  The Committee would like to recognize Local 6222 for forwarding dozens of cards, with hundreds of signatures of Members, to us.  The cards thanked the CWA Bargaining Committee for their hard work and more importantly the hand written messages stated that Local 6222 was standing tall with Members from every CWA Local in District 6 in support of a good contract.  Thank you, Brothers and Sisters.

       We Feel Your Support – Continue The Mobilization Activities