Health care continues to be the major point of contention. Currently, the average out-of-pocket cost of health care for a union worker ranges from $1100 to $1500 dollars per year, said CWA executive vice president Annie Hill. AT&T's first position had workers paying $3800 to $5700 per year, while a second proposal brought it down to $2800 to $4200 - still two to three times what workers currently pay. "This is totally unacceptable for an employer as profitable as AT&T," said Hill.
Cohen said two conflicting messages were presented around AT&T's first-quarter earnings report - one for workers, one for Wall Street. AT&T stressed the losses in wireline income and customers with a call to keep costs in line to its workers. A much rosier picture was given to investors, with solid growth and earnings, a dramatic slowing of landline losses, $3.13 billion in profits beating Wall Street expectation and an average landline revenue increase of about 2 percent.
Rather than shift more health care costs to workers, Cohen and the union are calling for AT&T to "step up" to support national health care coverage for all Americans, a move that would supposedly save the company $600 million per year and increase shareholder value by more than $5 billion.<<
http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/cwa-president-t-strike-tactic-we-may-yet-use/2009-04-23This makes sense to me: In order for the U.S. to be competitive, corporate leaders are going to have to spend some of their lobbying money and lend support for major health care reform and a single payer system. We need a strong middle class if we want to rebuild our economy. Unions and management have common interests here in building the most efficient health care system that could make us competitive against any country in the world.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
