AT&T Contract Expires, CWA Members Will Report to Work as Negotiations Continue

From CWA District 9 Vice President Jim Weitkamp
Just before midnight, April 7, 2012

Brothers and sisters:

Our contract with AT&T West will expire in just a few minutes. At this time, we still have many issues unresolved.

We have made some progress but we have a lot of ground yet to cover to get the contract CWA members deserve from the company we’ve made so successful.

As of midnight tonight, we will be working without a contract. At this time, CWA members at AT&T West will continue to work, though that can change at any time. We’re keeping our options open as we focus on reaching an agreement that maintains our standard of living.

Working without a contract means that the terms of our contract will remain in effect. Wages, working conditions and benefits like health care will continue unchanged, with the exception of arbitration for grievances. Mobilizers and locals have more information on exactly what it means to work without a contract, so be sure to check in with your local and check out www.cwaatatt.com.

We are keeping our option to strike at hand. AT&T is a very successful company, posting profits of $20 billion last year.

We need to continue to bargain hard and all CWA members in D9 need to stand tough, to support our bargaining team and make sure the company knows we mean business. There are mobilization actions and events starting tomorrow throughout our District. We have plans for inside actions as well as public events. But we need every CWA member and retiree to stand up and be a part of this fight to hold on to the American Dream.

And we must be a part of the 99% Spring trainings that will be held in every state the week of April 9-15. We must share our fight at AT&T with other 99% Spring activists participating in our communities and make the fight to keep our standard of living a part of 99% Spring actions. That way, more than 100,000 99 % Spring participants will be taking on our fight, just as we’ll stand strong for theirs. Together, our voices will be heard. 

Trainings will be held at these locations. http://www.cwa-union.org/pages/99_spring_training_locations

What happens in these negotiations affects all of us. And only by standing together will we succeed in keeping our standard of living.

At the end of the day, when this round of negotiations is finished, we will have achieved our goal that when the entire package is added up, including wages, health care and other benefits, and all other improvements, every single member, from the lowest paid to the highest, will be better off at the end of the contract than they were at the beginning.

Solidarity,
Jim Weitkamp