AT&T Bargaining Update 1 - May 19, 2009

Leadership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, IBEW and AT&T management made history yesterday as they opened national bargaining.   This round of negotiations will combine the legacy T and legacy S contracts with the largest telecommunication provider in the world. 

Local 21 President-Business Manager Ron Kastner along with system council T3 Chairman Peter Pusateri and IBEW Telecommunications Department Director Martha Pultar opened with a strong statement expressing the union’s desire to share in the 13 billion dollar profits the company made last year.  Our leadership presented a strong unified front for IBEW telecommunications workers.

The company tried to relate themselves to those of the automobile, truck, and airline industries, as well as other victims of the struggling economy.  These are trying times and we sympathize with our fellow union members in the autoworkers and alike.  AT&T however is not in the same fight for survival as the auto industry.  Considering the annual report and the profits listed; AT&T is doing very well from our hard work.

On our 1st full day of bargaining the union did not shy away from the most difficult and important issue to our membership, Health Care.  Our bargaining team made an in-depth presentation that outlined ways to proactively address the issue of rising health care costs while we maintain our current benefits levels. Our actions today made it clear to AT&T that we came to this table with viable options on healthcare rather than shifting the cost onto our members.  We want to maintain the quality of standards for our members’ benefits.

This report will be updated as events warrant.