AT&T-union negotiations expected down to the wire (100,000 ready to strike)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ANDREW VANACORE

NEW YORK (AP) - Union officials representing more than 100,000 workers at AT&T Inc. (ATT) expressed frustration with the phone company's management Friday, saying the two sides are still far apart on important labor issues a day before contracts are set to expire.

AT&T, the nation's largest employer of union labor, is looking to get the employees to cover more of their health care costs, among other concessions.

Both sides say talks are likely to go into the late hours Saturday, when contracts covering landline employees in five regions expire at midnight.

"It's time for management to get serious and step up the pace of bargaining," said Annie Hill, executive vice president of the Communications Workers of America, in a statement.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20090403/D97B5KBG0.html

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AT&T has allowed simple card check to organize workers and has stayed neutral as the law requires. Most non management employees are covered by a contract. We use them for our cell service. The only all union cell company according to the CWA.

[Gman]

1. Former AT&T CEO Ed Whitacre agreed to card check

agreeing to recognize the CWA in the unorganized subsidiaries. Overall Ed Whitacre was very good for CWA.

Unlike Whitacre, a "telephone man" in the old true sense of the phrase, new CEO Randall Stephenson has never climbed a poll, or answered a phone as non-management. Stephenson is a finance/numbers guy and that's all he knows. While Stephenson is a personable guy, I doubt he gives a fat rat's butt about CWA. This is the first contract negotiated under Stephenson. I hope he's not stupid enough to put CWA out on strike.

[comtec]

2. I did managemnt training for T-1 lines in 01

and trust me, management at ATnT is pure evil.

"Union free by 2003"

f u c k i n g e v i l!!!

But i imagine they'll back off just like they did then.

They were paying me CRAZY! am mounts of money to learn T-1 circuit management!
It did wonders for my career knowledge actually.
and before you attack me for being a scab, i had Z E R O intention of crossing the line.
Actually I left for Europe (long story) about a day before they would have had to deal with a strike anyway.

but yeah... fucking EVIL bastards there!