 |
Bargaining Questions8/20/2009
Questions asked about bargaining
Political Action Political Action Bargaining & Mobilization Updates Bargaining & Mobilization Updates Organizing Updates Organizing Updates District 3 Locals District 3 Locals News Articles News Articles District Office District Office States States Staff Roster Staff Roster
Home > THE FIGHT OF OUR LIVES – AT&T BARGAINING - KEY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The Fight of our Lives - District 3 - AT&T Bargaining
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
There have been lots of questions around the District about the bargaining process, the potential for a strike, and the critical bargaining issues for AT&T members. Yesterday, I arranged for the Bargaining Committee, Bargaining Chairs, and myself to spend time with President Larry Cohen to discuss these questions. President Cohen made it clear that we are all in this together and that the entire Union stands behind us. I thought that it would be important to share some of the key questions and answers with you.
In Unity,
Judy Dennis
Key Questions and Answers
Question: Can District 3 strike?
As we know, District 3 members voted to authorize a strike earlier this year. The Executive Board voted to support this and delegated the authority to set a date to strike to the President.
Question: How will the President set a date?
Before we engage in any strike, our goals and strategy need to be clear. A strike by 32,000 members should not be taken lightly. Before we decide to walk, President Cohen promised to meet with the full bargaining committee and myself to review the situation in detail, discuss the pros and cons and come to a conclusion.
Question: Can a Vice President call a strike?
There was a misconception that at Convention President Cohen said that a Vice President could call a strike. That’s incorrect. The authority to set the date for a strike belongs to the President.
Question: Why do we have the slogan: One Union, One Fight, One Future, while we are bargaining District by District and contract by contract?
The slogan was designed to communicate to all CWA members that we are in this fight together and that we are willing to commit the resources of the entire union. President Cohen noted that there was a disconnect between how people heard the slogan and the actual process that Vice Presidents adopted, which permitted each District to reach an agreement.
In January, the Vice Presidents and Bargaining Chairs, including then-District 3 Vice President Beverly Hicks and Bargaining Chair Mike Fahrenholt, met for two days in Washington, D.C., to discuss our bargaining strategy and common issues. At this meeting, the National CWA Officers discussed how to coordinate and communicate during bargaining.
While our goal was to attempt to reach agreements at the same time, the Vice Presidents recognized that because contract language and issues differ and because the Southeast contract had a separate expiration date that it might not be possible to reach agreements all at the same time. The Vice Presidents (including District 3) agreed that we would coordinate on six key items (National Transfer Plan, President’s Council, letter on evolving technologies, card check, movement of work, and wages). An additional 10 items, including health care, employment security, premise techs, and contracting, were identified as “strategic watch” issues about which we would clearly communicate with each other. Before an agreement was reached it would be shared with the other Vice Presidents and it would require approval by President Cohen.
The slogan was never intended to mean we would have one bargaining table.
(Note: You can read more about the bargaining process at http://www.cwa-union.org/att/factsheets/att-bargaining-process.html)
Question: Why did District 4 report its ratification the day before the District 3 contract expired?
The pace of any bargaining as we get close to an agreement is hard to predict. Once the District 4 bargaining committee reached a handshake deal, the deal had to be captured in language, after which contract explanation meetings were held and ballots were distributed. Events happened to line up so that District 4’s ballot counting and announcement date fell just before District 3’s expiration.
Question: Does every bargaining unit have to reach the same agreements as every other unit?
No. Every bargaining unit can, and must, bargain to meet the needs of its members. The bargaining units have different contract provisions, issues, and goals that must be addressed by the elected bargaining committees. One example is the District 3 pension plan: there is no similar plan anywhere in the country that combines both pension bands and a cash balance account.
In addition, some common issues have more than one acceptable solution and the bargaining committees must negotiate a full package that achieves the goals set by our members: an increased standard of living, quality health care, new employment security provisions, and opportunity.
Question: Is the health care agreement in District 9 is the same as in District 4?
No. In District 9, the majority of members are covered by Kaiser and more than 90 percent of members have access to Kaiser coverage. The tentative agreement calls for no changes in the Kaiser plan, guaranteed over the life of the contract. For those who are members of two other HMO plans, the change in cost is $35 a month for single coverage and $75 a month for family coverage. For members that don't have access to any HMO their health care plan is the same as the our members in the Midwest. For these members, new Health Reimbursement Accounts will offset new costs.
In District 4, health care costs will increase. Instead of co-pays there will be deductibles, co-insurance and out-of-pocket maxes. Members will pay $35 a month for single coverage and $75 a month for family coverage. This changes will be offset by wage increases and tax-free contributions to new Health Reimbursement Accounts which will add $450/$900 (single/family) to after-tax pay in the first contract year and $300/$600 in next year.
© 2005 Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, CLC. Contact Us
[Back]
|
|
