AT&T bargaining is taking place at six different tables. Health care and leveraged titles are among the issues that are important in all bargaining units, but the specifics will depend on the existing language in each contract. For information about negotiations for your bargaining unit, go to cwa-att.com/bargaining
AT&T just can't be serious. The Company continues to insist on takebacks on issue after issue, such as health care and so-called "leveraged titles."
AT&T's Current Health Care Proposal Would Shift Huge Costs to Union Members
The Company is proposing incredibly retrogressive changes to our health care plans. Members would have to pay premiums, higher deductibles, higher co-insurance, and higher out-of-pocket maximums.
The Company wants to reduce its costs by moving toward a "consumer-driven" health care plan. The idea is that if an employee's family has to pay more for services, they may make a "wiser" consumer choice and not use the services. In truth, families are forced to decide between needed health care services and paying other bills. This is not only unjust and potentially dangerous to employees and their families, but also a foolish way to cut costs now and probably increase them later, when smaller health problems become bigger problems.
AT&T did not hand us our health care benefits. We've fought for them contract by contract. We've sacrificed wage increases in order to keep them. We've worked with management to lower costs without shifting them onto union members.
It's clear that AT&T's only concern is to lower their costs, no matter what price we pay.
AT&T Wants Unlimited Power over Leveraged Titles
AT&T wants unlimited power to unilaterally create, amend, or discontinue new commissioned titles without bargaining with the Union.
Under its "Leveraged Titles" proposal, the Company could create new commissioned titles in Consumer Markets, Business Markets, and Credit and Collections that perform current and/or future sales and collections functions. The company could set the "base wage" and "additional payments" (percentage of pay at risk) at their discretion and subject to change at any time, without bargaining or any recourse to arbitration or any other process.
In other words, management wants complete freedom to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants. This proposal is just one more way that AT&T disrespects our work, our contracts, and our Union.
