CWA/AT&T Midwest Bargaining Report #24

The Union committee passed proposals this morning rejecting retrogressive company proposals on Article 8 (Collective Bargaining Procedures), Appendices A2 (Training Opportunity Plan), A4 (Regional Joint Benefits Forum) and A25 (Regarding Required Overtime) and proposed retaining current language.

The company rejected the Union’s proposal on Article 16 that would freeze medical costs at current levels that we presented yesterday. That stated that they stand on their original offer that increased costs to CWA members in an unprecedented manner.

This afternoon tentative agreements were reached on letters regarding the Company Wellness Plan, CVS Retail Option, Leveraged Title and Team Lead Quota Relief. The Union passed additional proposals on the MOAs covering Surplus of Premises Technicians and on Appendix F while we continue to push to upgrade the titles covered by the Appendix to core titles.

Late in the evening tentative agreements were reached on letters covering Card Check Revision, Video Site Operations Technicians and Detailed Network Employees. The Union passed a proposal to improve Article 26. The company passed additional retrogressive proposals on Article 2 (Definitions), Article 18 (Treatment of Time Not Worked), Article 19 (Differentials), Appendix A1 (Motor Vehicle Usage Program) and Appendix B2(Regarding Service Technicians, etc).

At this time, the Company and the Union are still oceans apart.

The labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it. By raising the living standards of millions, labor miraculously created a market for industry and lifted the whole nation to undreamed of levels of production. Those who attack labor forget these simple truths, but history remembers them.            

 -Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr