CWA Local 3710

NEWS
AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #56
30 AUG, 2024
AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #56

CWA is on strike in District 3 because of the company's unfair labor practices. We're protesting against the Company's bad faith bargaining, part of which involves issues around healthcare bargaining. CWA leaders discussed healthcare bargaining with labor relations representatives of the Company, and in those discussions the company's representatives agreed to a framework for healthcare bargaining in District 3. The Company agreed that healthcare bargaining would proceed based on regional costs for healthcare here in the southeast instead of national costs. Shortly after those discussions, however, the Company reneged on the agreement, informing CWA that they had changed their mind. We want members to understand how the Company's backing out of its agreement has impacted bargaining, and why it is important that CWA shine a light on the Company's bad faith tactics.

Healthcare is currently a major issue in negotiations. Our membership has told us that the continuing rise in healthcare costs needs to change. The following information is intended to help explain the Company’s position on how we bargain healthcare and the position we are currently taking.

AT&T calculates the national average cost per wireline represented employee. The Company calculates this by adding the gross covered claims and the administrative expense they incur divided by the number of participating employees. When we are bargaining for a new contract, the Company uses this average cost per employee for the most recent year with full year data available and then projects the cost will increase 5% each year. We then negotiate the monthly contributions and employee out of pocket payments that would generate a target cost share. This cost share is the percentage of the cost per employee our members pay. Our current benefits were negotiated in 2019 at a 29% cost share for employees hired prior to that agreement and a 32% cost share for employees hired during the agreement.

Each bargaining cycle, CWA requests an extensive amount of data related to medical costs over the last contract period. In reviewing the data for the Southeast, the team was able to compare that data to the data we received in the last two rounds of bargaining and found the actual cost trends were much lower than the Company’s projected 5% increase each year. We were already aware that historically the Southeast costs have been lower than the national average.

In discussion with CWA leadership, the decision was made that we would take the position that going forward we would not agree to bargain our medical costs in the Southeast off a national average but off the Southeast costs; in other words, only considering the costs for employees represented under this agreement.

The Company continues to insist that we bargain off the national average costs and continues to present proposals based on that model, with the same 5% annual trend. This has created a big issue in our negotiations. We know this model causes our members to pay more than the 29% target cost share for their actual costs.

Additionally, the Company continues to push a new healthcare option. The Company argues the new option is designed to lower the overall costs and would lower the amount our members pay. The biggest issue with this new option is related to prescription drug costs. Our current Option 1 plan has fixed copays with no deductible for prescription drug coverage. The new option integrates the prescription drug costs with the medical deductibles. That means employees in either medical plan would have to meet their medical deductible before moving to a coinsurance for prescriptions. This adds more out of pocket costs to members than they currently have.

The charts below compare the current Option 1 and Option 2 medical costs with the Company’s most recent proposal on benefits.

Image 3



Hopefully, this helps explain why we continue to push back on the Company’s proposed medical plan and “Fight For More in ’24.”

AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #55



Today the CWA Bargaining Teams met with the Company and dealt with a number of items through package proposals. Existing proposals that CWA has on the table concerning work rules include improving the Forced Overtime Cap, Service Observing improvements, increasing Partnership Funding, increasing SIPP pay, implementing Exchange Time, changing Vacation Carryover language, Memorandum Of Agreement cleanup and Core-to-Wire Tech language changes. The benefits package that the Company presented today was undesirable, to say the least. They are still unwilling to break away from the national cost model (that we have been able to prove results in our members being overcharged for healthcare) and are still insisting that the national model works best for them. On a brighter note, we are seeing more pictures of members being unified, keeping one another encouraged and staying mobilized. Let’s keep lifting each other up as we continue into uncharted territory. Lean on one another through these trying times and take pride in doing what we must do to ensure better things not only for ourselves, but for future members to come.

AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #54



Today, we reverted to negotiations on the record with the original Company bargaining team. The mediator is still involved and is still acting as a facilitator, with no authority to require either party to agree or disagree to any proposals. The Company provided a package that would require our core employees to take a drastic cut in paid illness days, make changes to Article 14 that would allow employees from other CWA Districts to be loaned to D3 indefinitely and admittedly made “incremental changes” for Wire Technicians. One of those incremental changes proposed increasing meal reimbursements from $37 to $40. Negotiations continue over their substandard wage and benefits proposals. We are appreciative of all the pictures, the support and unity that we are seeing across the District. Let’s stay in unison as a team and keep the momentum going. Lean on one another and encourage one another in these times. Let’s all be stronger than ever and show the Company that we are here to handle our business!

CWA
DISTRICT 3
AT&T Southeast

The CWA District 3 leadership, your AT&T Southeast, and Utility Operations bargaining teams will be hosting a town hall-style conf call on Thursday, August 29th at 7:00 PM Eastern/6:00 PM Central.

The call is open to all CWA members in District 3 who work at AT&T. The call will last about one hour. During the first 30 minutes, bargaining team members will provide a report on the current status of contract negotiations. The second half of the call will be a question and answer period, where members can ask District 3 leadership questions about bargaining and our efforts to gain the contact our members deserve.

Below is the link to register for the town hall conference call. Registrants will receive a phone call from CWA shortly before the start of the call. Upon answering the phone, registrants will be brought directly onto the call. We look forward to speaking with all of you tomorrow night.

I have attached a QR code that members can utilize to register for the call. Members can also register for the call by texting STRIKECALL (all one word) to 49484, or utilize the link listed below:

https://actionnetwork.org/events/cwa-district-3-att-strike-update-town-hall-call

CWA District 3
AL FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN

cwad3.org
3516 Covington Highway
Decatur, GA 30032
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AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #53

The dynamics of contract negotiations lead to strategy modifications as talks progress. Although we want to disclose as much information as possible, due to the fact we are currently bargaining with a mediator’s involvement, many conversations are being held off the record. This limits the amount of information that we can distribute in bargaining reports. CWA leadership has informed the company that we will be conducting bargaining meetings at a neutral site going forward. We can say for certain that the company has yet to resolve the issues that required us to file the ULP charges and that they are feeling the pressure from our members staying strong on the picket lines. We have heard reports of managers scrambling to pick up jobs, performing work at less than satisfactory safety levels and working a lot of mandatory overtime, causing them to be away from their families. Hopefully, when the dust settles, they will have a new respect for our members who live and breathe this work daily to generate the earnings the Company so often brags about. Stay strong fellow Union family, stay as one, we need to rally now more than ever.

AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #52


Our bargaining team met with AT&T's representatives throughout the weekend, attempting to bring contract negotiations to an end and reach an agreement. Last week, AT&T requested that the parties enter into federal mediation. CWA agreed to mediation and we hoped that it would be of some assistance in our efforts to gain a fair and just contract for the members of District 3. Unfortunately, AT&T's representatives came to mediation with the same lack of authority to make decisions or reach agreements that they had previously displayed at the bargain table. In other words, the same old games AT&T has played throughout the bargaining process, simply carried over into mediation.



As of today, the company has moved only a few inches in nearly a week of mediation. The wage increases the company is offering is not acceptable and our members deserve more. The biggest issue continues to be healthcare and the company's new prescription plan that would force many of our members to pay enormous prices for their medication. We remain far apart on the key issues. Our bargaining team is ready to head back to the bargaining table tomorrow morning to fight for the contract our members deserve.

Dear AT&T Managers,

I hate that the last week has been hard on you. It's hard working a forced schedule of 7a to 7p. Welcome to the life of your employees for the last 18 years that I've known my husband. There were springs/summers/falls that he worked 13 on and 1 off. There are days that he is forced to pick up 2 or more jobs after notification and isn't able to get off on time.

Countless baseball games, softball games, birthday celebrations, and Christmas mornings were missed during our children's early years – moments that can never be relived. All sacrificed for the sake of providing for our family.

As a supportive wife, I urge you to approach the bargaining table in good faith and negotiate a fair contract for the hardworking employees who deliver quality service to customers.

Sincerely, A Supporting Wife of a Phoneman

NEWS
AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #51
24 AUG, 2024
The parties continue to engage in mediation with a federal mediator, which we agreed to at the company's request. What we have made clear to the mediator through this process is that the CWA bargaining team knows what good faith bargaining with real company decision-makers looks like. While we are now meeting with company labor relations representatives, AT&T has yet to demonstrate that we are dealing with the real decision makers or that they are interested in real bargaining with the intent of reaching an agreement. It is a slow process to begin with, made slower by the company's tactics.

When they are "bargaining" (if you want to call it that), the positions taken by the company on important issues to our members are shocking. One example is the company's refusal to make realistic proposals on wages that reflect the economic reality for our members who work hard for a living or the reality of the company's huge profits. Another is the company's refusal to budge on improving working conditions for Wire Techs, who we now know they think of only as "second-class employees." Yet another is that the company has come to the bargaining table demanding that our members switch to a new healthcare plan. AT&T’s new healthcare plan will jeopardize the livelihood of our members, as it eliminates the prescription copayments we have today, and in place of those copayments, our members would be forced to pay the full price of prescriptions, until they meet an annual deductible of $6,600 for families.

So not only are the company's bargaining tactics shameful, what they are proposing when they are "bargaining" is shameful. Remember that what the company is doing at the bargaining table is happening while CEO John Stankey talks about the company's plans to "grow subscribers and revenues, while deepening customer relationships." Apparently, Stankey has forgotten that CWA members - union members - are the people who are responsible for AT&T's growth in subscribers and revenues, and who are the front line in dealing with its customers. If only Stankey could find labor relations professionals who understand the meaning of the duty to bargain in good faith, all of us -- workers, customers, and company -- would be better off.

Our bargaining team is working around the clock trying to reach an agreement. We met into the evening yesterday, and met with the company again today. We have told the mediator and the company that we are ready to meet at any time. What we hope is that the company will wake up to the reality that it can't continue to bargain in bad faith and expect to get a contract. What we know is that we can count on our members to continue protesting AT&T’s bad-faith tactics until they change. Like all CWA members across the country, we are inspired by the unity that exists within the membership across District 3. District 3 members are united on picket lines across the southeast and are making a difference. We will continue fighting for more in 24!

23 AUG, 2024


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!

AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #49

Today has been a long day of meetings, some with the CWA Bargaining Team and mediator, some with leadership. We want everyone to stay focused in the field on the picket lines and know that we are doing the same here on our end. We have an end goal, and that goal is a fair and just contract. While the Company may have called some of our members 2nd class employees and only wanted to feed them the leftovers, it’s time that we fight to show this greedy Company that we are tired of the crumbs and are ready for what's owed to our members. Stay ready, stay mobilized, thanks for all that you are doing and keep the pictures coming. Fight for more in 24!

Love seeing families walking the line together, especially when they bring their children. Raising them right and still holding strong in Local 3710!

AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #48



The CWA Bargaining Team and the Company both met with the mediator throughout the day today. All day was spent allowing the mediator to meet both teams, get acquainted with the last 2 months’ worth of progress, the issues that have put us in the position that we are currently in, going over the key items that we have at the table and getting educated on the proposals and their importance. We remain optimistic that the mediator will help us gain ground on securing a contract that is acceptable to our members. While we know that everyone has questions and concerns about what is going on, please know that we are working diligently to get the current issues resolved and to get everyone back to work. Please stay strong and keep showing the Company that with the unified members we have, we are here to fight for more!

Such a moving image of a member in Florida child.

Day 5 of the ULP strike, and Local 3710 members are united and resilient! It’s wonderful to see our members' families joining us at two different locations, especially the little ones. We're proud to be setting a good example for the future!

AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #47



Today, our bargaining team met with AT&T’s representatives at both the Common Interest Table, where we bargain for wages, benefits pensions, etc. and the BST Table, where we bargain for work rules, or contract provisions. Our bargaining team continues to demand that our members receive annual wage increases that actually put us ahead in today’s economic climate. The company’s wage proposals continue to fall short of what our members deserve.


The biggest obstacle at the bargaining table is the benefits or healthcare plan. The company continues to make benefits proposals based on AT&T’s national average for healthcare cost. The problem with this, is that our healthcare costs in District 3 are much lower than AT&T’s national average. This is the biggest obstacle to reaching an agreement at the bargaining table. AT&T wants us to pay more for our healthcare than it actually costs. We have made AT&T well aware that we don't want to be over charged for our healthcare, but AT&T’s response is “this cost structure works well for the company.”


Yesterday, our bargaining team received notice from AT&T’s representatives, that the company wants to enter into federal mediation. Considering AT&T’s bad faith tactics during these negotiations, our bargaining team is hopeful that mediation might lead us to the agreement our members deserve. Currently, we are scheduled to meet with the federal mediator tomorrow morning. Until then, we will continue to bargain, and have plans to return to the bargaining table later this afternoon.


We know that you are fighting for us! We want you to know that we are fighting for you! And that we don’t have any plans to stop!

Today the Bargaining Team met with the Company to deliver yet another comprehensive package. The package included all the common interest items that our members have expressed they want including wage increases, improvements to the health care plan with lower costs, pension increases, 401k improvements and a no layoff guarantee. The Company simply replied that they understood our proposal. Our Bargaining Team remains optimistic that the Company will start to move our way. We will see over the next few days if they truly do understand our proposal and if they really want to reach an agreement. Thanks to each and every one of you out there holding the lines and carrying picket signs, we appreciate everything that each of you are doing. Stay mobilized and stay ready!

Everyone please click on and sign this will be going to Stankey

Support Striking Workers at AT&T Southeast CWA members are on strike at AT&T Southeast because AT&T is refusing to engage in good faith negotiations for a new contract. We are a big part of AT&T’s success, but we have been at the bargaining table since June without making significant progress despite our best efforts. Tell AT&T to show us ...

AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report # 45

While CWA members in District 3 are on strike against AT&T to protest unfair labor practices committed by the company during negotiations for a new contract, our bargaining team has continued to bargain with AT&T’s representatives, trying to reach an agreement. AT&T’s representatives at the bargaining table seem to have little authority to make decisions or enter into agreements, and on occasion have even been unable to explain their own proposals.

AT&T came to the bargaining table yesterday and read from a script that appears could have been written by their attorney, accusing CWA of bargaining in bad faith. When the Union asked for the Company’s definition and specific examples of bad faith bargaining, AT&T’s representatives were not able to explain their accusations. At times, they have been unable to have discussions with us about the issues at the bargaining table, including one of their own proposals yesterday.

Thousands of CWA members are on strike across nine (9) different states in the Southeast. Many of those members have asked for more information about what has been proposed at the bargaining table. Below, we have listed some of the details of CWA’s bargaining proposals concerning the larger issues of pay & benefits that affect all. Keep in mind that these are our current proposals for what we hope to achieve in a new contract. The bargaining process is fluid, meaning that proposals change over time and commonly look different from one day to the next. As of today, Union proposals and Company proposals include the following:

Wages

CWA: General Wage Increase: Significant increase over the life of the contract, plus an annual cost-of-living adjustment. Upgrade several Wage Scales. Equalizing all Wage Zones.

AT&T: General Wage Increase: 2%, 2%, 3%, 3%, & 2%

Healthcare Benefits

CWA: Monthly premiums that are lower than today for all three bargaining units. Utilizing only the Southeast healthcare costs to calculate company/employee cost share, instead of AT&T’s national average.

AT&T: Large increases in monthly premiums, up to $595 per month for a family. Large increases in the annual deductible, up to $6,600 for a family In Network, and $19,800 Out of Network. Large Increases in the annual maximum out of pocket, up to $16,000 for a family In Network, and $48,000 Out of Network.

Health Savings Account

CWA: HSA with matching company contributions.
AT&T: No matching contributions to an HSA

Pensions

CWA: Significant AT&T SE Pension Increases
CWA: Significant BCBP2 Pension Increases: Increase for all age credit factors.
AT&T: AT&T SE Pension Increases - 0.5%, 0%, 0,5%, 0%, & 0.5%
AT&T: BCBP2 Pension Increases - No increase

401K - Savings Plans

CWA: BellSouth Savings and Security Plan - Employees can contribute 6% of their basic wages with a company match equal to 80% of the employee contribution.
CWA: AT&T Retirement Savings Plan - Employees can contribute 6% of basic wages with a company match equal to 90% of the employee contribution.

AT&T: BellSouth Savings and Security Plan - No increase or improvement
AT&T: AT&T Retirement Savings Plan - No increase or improvement

While AT&T continues to remain far apart from our position on the issues, our bargaining team will continue to return to the table to bargain in good faith towards reaching an agreement that our members deserve. As you stand strong on the picket line, we will stand strong at the bargaining table. We are all in this fight together, the Fight for More in 24!

Local 3710 is proudly standing united for the ULP strike across all work centers! We couldn’t ask for a more dedicated group of members. Let's stand strong together—we will prevail! 💪

NEWS
AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #44
17 AUG, 2024
Yesterday, 17,000 CWA members across the southeast went on an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike against AT&T. At the same time our members were heading to the picket line, CWA leadership met with AT&T's bargaining representatives to discuss the current status of contract negotiations and the bad faith bargaining tactics that AT&T has been engaged in at the bargaining table. While we hoped this meeting might be constructive, it was unfortunately just more of the same from AT&T. The company's rhetoric during this meeting made it clear to us that AT&T has no interest in bargaining in good faith with CWA or trying to reach an agreement.

Following that meeting, our bargaining team went to the table to meet with AT&T's representatives. The company came to the bargaining table claiming that they wanted to know why CWA was asking for so many improvements for Wire Technicians. Our bargaining team spent more than an hour answering the company's questions and educating AT&T's representatives on the working conditions that our members have to deal with on a daily basis. During this discussion, the company's bargaining representatives stated that there are two different classes of employees at AT&T, and Wire Technicians are second-class employees. Our bargaining team made sure that AT&T's representatives clearly understood the absurdity of their statement.

Our bargaining team will be returning to the bargaining table this morning with our eleventh comprehensive package proposal, trying to reach an agreement. This comprehensive package proposal includes improvements for all CWA members in District 3, in every job title. We know that the members of District 3 are standing strong against AT&T’s bad-faith tactics, and you can rest assured, knowing that your bargaining team is standing strong alongside you.

Corrected: AT&T Southeast Bargaining Report #43

Today, our bargaining team met with the company and passed another comprehensive package proposal, outlining what it will take to reach an agreement. Our comprehensive package included several major improvements for members in many different job titles: members who work in call center environments and office settings, along with Core Technicians and Wire Technicians. The company responded to our proposal by expressing their frustrations, claiming that the Union is asking for too many improvements for Wire Technicians. Obviously, none of the company’s bargaining representatives have ever worked as a Wire Technician, otherwise they would understand the drastic need for vast contract improvements for Wire Technicians. It’s evident that there is a major disconnect between what the company’s bargaining representatives know and the reality that our members face everyday on the job working for AT&T.

We continue to bargain with the company on the important issues of wages, benefits, and pensions. Our bargaining team has continuously stressed to the company that AT&T’s CEO recently touted the company’s large increase in profits and “strong financial performance”. Taking this into account, our members deserve a substantial wage increase.

As expressed in previous bargaining reports, due to the company’s bad faith bargaining tactics, CWA was left with no choice but to file an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge against AT&T. This ULP charge involves several issues, all of which clearly establish that AT&T is not bargaining in good faith with our bargaining team. AT&T agreed to bargain with us over healthcare on a regional basis to lower costs for our members in District 3. The very same day this agreement was made, the company went back on their word, and continues to make proposals asking our members to pay more for their healthcare than it actually costs. The company is engaged in "surface bargaining", going through the motions but apparently with no real intention of reaching an agreement. At times, the company has been unable to explain their own bargaining problems or answer any questions about their own proposals. On two separate occasions, our team has requested to return to the bargaining table to pass proposals, only to have AT&T’s bargaining representatives brush them off, refuse to meet, and push us off until the next day. To make things worse, the company outright refuses to discuss a mandatory subject of bargaining.

The bargaining team continues to work hard, searching for an answer to how we make AT&T bargain with us in good faith so we can reach an agreement. Our bargaining team knows that whatever it will take, CWA members in District 3 are up for the fight.