Contracts expire for many at AT&T, talks continue

[IamK]

Source: Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Union contracts for 40,000 AT&T workers expired at midnight, but a strike was averted as officials said early Sunday that talks were continuing.

Though passage of the deadline left the Communications Workers of America free to call a strike, spokeswoman Candice Johnson says employees would report for work without a contract. But she says that could change at any time.

Four separate contracts in eastern, Midwestern and Western areas covering some 40,000 workers in total expired.

At issue in the negotiations are job protection clauses and health care premiums and co-payments.

The workers are on the shrinking local-phone and long-haul data side of the business.

Three three years ago, the parties kept talking past the contract expiration, and reached agreements without a strike.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/contracts-expire-many-t-talks-continue-043101379.html

[IamK]

1. land line based phones (and their workers) are a dying bread.....

[cstanleytech]

4. Yup and I read a story somewhere that said now ATT is trying to bail on providing rural landline

service including DSL....so much for their promises when bought up the other baby bells that it would lead to better cheaper service and be better for the customers.

[jumptheshadow]

7. Landline workers provide the infrastructure for digital workers

Many of them hold jobs that support the digital systems.

[lunasun]

2. Stay strong CWA !!

you all know AT&T has got it but doesnt want to share it)

my old union
same old story

[Gman]

3. When you use AT&T service, wireless or landline

you're keeping the union movement strong.

[Betty88]

5. I'm one of the 40,000

Our last contract gave in on health care costs, I knew it was only the start. The last contract was "reasonable" but I shudder to think what they are going to demand of us this time.

[Omaha Steve]

6. Marta stayed out 3 weeks in August of 1982 for the CWA

It was the last national strike against AT&T. AT&T was split into several regional companies a few months later at the first of the year.

[starfox172]

8. good luck cwa