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Many AT&T Employees Working Without Contracts
Negotiations continue between AT&T, Unions...

With AT&T union employees again threatening to strike over the weekend as the contract expired, AT&T and the Communications Workers of America announced last night they'd struck a tentative agreement for some 23,000 CWA-represented workers in California, Nevada and Hawaii. According to the CWA, bargaining continues for roughly 70,000 employees who work in AT&T East (CWA District 1), Southeast (District 3), Southwest (District 6), and AT&T Legacy, a nationwide unit.

Several employees tell us they woke today really not knowing if they were going to be going to work.

We spoke with one AT&T employee who works in AT&T's Southeast territory who says their contract expired last night. "The big issue is heath care and the amounts AT&T wants to charge us -- while raking in billions per quarter," the employee says. "All union members just don't want to lose anything we currently enjoy -- very simple -- we don't want pay raises, more vacation -- just our current benefits & health care."

According to the employee, rumblings from an executive friend suggests AT&T management seriously considered locking out employees, but at this point appears to be moving forward and negotiating in good faith.

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nunya
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O Fallon, MO
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nunya

MVM

Former Bell Comment

I ran the gamut from SWBT, SBC, and AT&T. I was union the entirety. I can say this without hesitation about Ma Bell. She treats her employees like CRAP! Management and union (executives exempted). It's tough, monotonous, grueling, boring work. But, she pays good and gives good benefits. That's the only reason people stay there.
Take that away, and see what you get left with.

Here are that bad things I saw: Laziness, or more importantly, protected laziness. There were a few bad apples. The vast majority busted their asses every day.
I believe strongly that merit should play an important role in any job, union or not.
Forced overtime, especially in outside jobs, was prevalent. The amount of forced OT often crossed the line of dangerous. You can only whip a mule so long.
Also, your hands were tied much of time. Often, you were not permitted to make necessary plant repairs due to budget or time constraints. You were forced into poor customer service, and left to be the "face of the company" with customers who don't have a clue (and rightfully, shouldn't have to). Another program along these lines is / was called "good jobs in 8". A moronic anti-quality performance metric system.
The CWA / IBEW also funnel a lot of dough to liberal / socialist / communist causes and agendas.

I have to admit, without a union at Ma Bell, it would be an unbearable job.

I left and started my own NON-UNION company. My employees are Me, Myself, and I. I still get picketed and harassed by moron union members. This is something that really bugs me about unions too. They think they are "entitled" to whatever they claim or set eyes on.

This is a piss poor time for any type of negotiations, because there really are qualified people waiting in line to take these jobs. Would these people be willing to do it for less money? Maybe for a little while. When the economy improves, they'll be running for the door though.

I think in a case like AT&T, you have to take the "bad" that comes with any union.