CWA/AT&T Midwest Bargaining Report #62

This afternoon the Company presented the Union with a 5th comprehensive package proposal that they termed as “final”. The Company has moved towards the Union’s direction on some issues, but it doesn’t appear that we are where we need to be yet.

As usual, the email the Company sent out this afternoon highlights some positives in their proposal, but leaves out the many diminishments and retrogressive proposals that CWA members will not accept.

The Union’s team is currently reviewing the company’s proposal. We will report more details tomorrow, after we have time to comprehensively review the language.

The Company’s “final” offer has ignored the members’ bargaining demands and continues to propose making unreasonable changes to health care and job security. It shows a lack of commitment to employment in the Midwest, and very little forward progress on the appendices and numerous other articles.

Your bargaining committee came here to bargain a fair contract with AT&T. At this point it appears that AT&T would like to attempt to bargain directly with CWA members via their massive propaganda machine.

We will continue to bargain towards a fair agreement in hopes that the Company’s next proposal will more realistically reflect the long and tenuous discussions that have transpired between the parties.

Lastly, we know there is confusion on what a “final” offer means. It is the Union’s position that this was simply another proposal and we will continue to bargain until we reach an agreement that is satisfactory to present to the membership.