CWA wins two contested contracts

Jul 21, 2012

Washington, D.C. -- The Communications Workers of America District 4 and CWA’s Telecommunications and Technologies Sector have reached tentative agreements in separate negotiations with AT&T Midwest and AT&T Legacy.

CWA members and leaders across all districts are continuing to support bargaining that is continuing in District 9, with AT&T West, and with Local 1298, with AT&T East. The contract covering CWA members in District 3 with AT&T Southeast expires Aug. 4.

In District 4, which covers about 15,000 CWA members at AT&T operations in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, the bargaining team reached a tentative settlement that provides for wage increases, improvements in employment security and improvements in work and job issues limits on forced overtime and changes to unfair attendance policies. More details will be made available to members shortly.

CWA T/T Vice President Ralph Maly noted that Seth Rosen, CWA’s vice president for District 4, would have said that “we achieved our goal of a net gain when considering pay, health care and employment security.”

Tragically, Rosen died on Friday, July 20, in a drowning accident in North Carolina. The bargaining committee was determined to reach a fair tentative agreement to honor Rosen and his lifetime of work on behalf of CWA members.

CWA members at AT&T Legacy, about 5,500 workers at locations nationwide, also will see real improvements in jobs, job security and pensions, in addition to wage gains, under a separate tentative agreement finalized on Saturday, July 21, said T/T Vice President Maly. Details will be made available to members shortly.

All the CWA districts and sectors have worked together and supported each other in the fight for good health care, retirement security, good wages and everything that makes up the American Dream.

Separate negotiations are continuing with AT&T West, where 18,000 CWA members throughout California and Nevada are mobilizing and supporting bargaining, and with AT&T East in Connecticut, where 4,000 members of CWA Local 1298, members of District 1, are standing together for a fair contract. The 24,000 District 3 members throughout the Southeast are keeping up their mobilization efforts as the clock ticks down to the Aug. 4 contract expiration.

CWA District 4 and T/T Sector Reach Tentative Contracts with AT&T Midwest and Legacy (CWA news release, Jul. 21, 2012)