Posted Friday 8/23, late afternoon, at the company web site https://about.att.com/pages/bargaining
Letter to employees: The latest on the Southeast work stoppage and contract negotiations
Last week, we shared that the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in the Southeast went out on a work stoppage. The CWA has publicly claimed that we’re acting in bad faith at the bargaining table. Not only is this untrue, it’s also disappointing. Senior and accountable representatives of the company have repeatedly met with the union since negotiations began and have engaged in open-minded discussions about their proposals and positions.
Our goal in all contract negotiations is to reach a fair agreement that recognizes the hard work our employees do to serve our customers, while allowing us to adapt to the competitive markets we serve.
We’ve constructively negotiated 3 agreements already this year, including a recent tentative agreement in the West 3 weeks ago. This agreement includes wages that exceed projected inflation and many other standout benefits, like wellness incentives, fertility services and a new, unprecedented company match for HSA contributions - up to $2,000 a year.
We’re trying to reach an agreement in the Southeast and know that it is ultimately constructive dialogue that is the only path and influencer to success. At our invitation, a federal mediator has joined the bargaining table so that there can be no doubt about the sincerity of our words and actions on this critical matter. We are focused on reaching a deal in the Southeast as quickly as possible, to minimize the impacts to both our employees and customers.