AT&T Workers Authorize Strike > Bad Timing

Bad Timing

Maybe the union should rethink the striking option right now or take a look at what is going on in the world or more specific the auto industry.
The Auto Workers are giving back years of increases so that they have jobs.
For those of you that say AT&T made billions and should share it with the workers please remember there are shareholders too. The shareholders have invested in AT&T and well if AT&T starts to make less money or lose money, bye bye shareholders.
Then, Bye bye stock price, then bye bye AT&T's ability to borrow money and do business, then bye bye AT&T which leads to Bye Bye job.
A vicious cycle, but the truth.
It a hard balancing act to keep employees, shareholders and creditors happy.
The shareholders have taken a hit on their investment over the past 12 months. Maybe the Union should think long term.
Look at what is going on all over the world?
Manufactures are shutting down production lines and asking workers to work 3 or 4 day weeks to save money, even California has gone to court to fight the union to enforce that employees take 2 days off a month without pay to save money.
Go ahead and strike, when they replace you or the company goes belly up, you will have yourself to blame.
I highly doubt that the public is going to be behind you on this one. Depending on what you read anywhere from 2 to 3 million jobs were lost in 2008. Not counting the reduction some workers have taken to keep their jobs. And you are asking for more. Should play out nicely. I'm betting AT&T is going to take a very hard stance here.
There is a time and place to ask for more, this isn't the time.

I like how everyone keeps going back and say the shareholders are hurting and that many regular joes have stock in att, why dont you google the profit and loss statement as well as do a search on the breakdown of who owns most of the stock. i.e executives on the board of att, investment companies, regular people only take into account a small fraction! always att just bumped up their dividend another 2.5 % but they cant afford to give alittle more???? give me a break these people on the board get free health care for life huge bonuses stock options worth millions!!!! its not the union that is the downfall of these companies its the executives that take and take and take. people talk about the automakers and having to give back, those employees have worked their whole lives for these companies and it is not the little man that has ran the company into the ground!!!

Well said anon12345, "unchecked" corporate greed has been our ruin.

reply to anon12345
Well as usual another uninformed opinion, Now I think you have the right to an opinion. But educate yourself and I think you would probably change your stance. The dividend went from .40 cents to .41 cents last qtr. Now the 2.5% sounds so much more greedy doesn't it, so play that end up.
It's so easy to play the corporate greedy board vs. the poor small guy. Regular people? What is your definition of regular people? AT&T is current 58% owned by institutions, included in the institutions would be the "regular guys" mutual fund, 401K managed by a Vanguard or T Rowe or Fidelity etc..state pension funds so on and so forth. 42% of AT&T is owned by indivuals, do you count them as "regular Guys".
I'm not going to try and defend a CEO taking 50 million is salary and bonus, but in reality that has less impact on a company then 40,000 workers asking for an 8% raise. I personally don't think either is right.
But then again, i don't think a baseball player should make millions and actors and actress should make 25 million for 3 months work making a movie.
But some how people don't seem to be as outraged by that. Or how about the fact that Oprah make 500 million a year. I mean America love Oprah, why isn't that greed?