AUGUST EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2017 due to the Labor Day Holiday week.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards,we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates. Also, there is a vacancy on the Executive Board for the CORE Business Office “Marketing” position that will be filled “by appointment” through the approval of the Executive Board and Membership until the election of the new term in January 2018.

JULY EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, August 1, 2017.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards,we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates.

JUNE EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 due to the 4th of July week.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend, vote and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards,we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates.

MAY EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards,we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates.

APRIL EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, May 2, 2017.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards,we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates.

MARCH EXECUTIVE BOARD & MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

The E-Board and Membership meetings will be held on Tuesday, April 4, 2017.

Executive Board meeting 5:30pm

General Membership meeting 6:30pm

Please mark your calendar & make a commitment to attend the monthly union meetings. As members we all have the privilege to attend and speak at these meetings. It is not just for officers and stewards,we all( officers, stewards, all members), make up the “union”. We are getting closer to the CORE contract expiring and currently have a TA(Tentative Agreement)! Please come to hear updates regarding our upcoming CORE contract bargaining. Bring any questions, comments or concerns that you may have. We will have a few topics to cover and provide updates.

AT&T SW BARGAINING REPORT #10

February 14, 2017

The CWA Bargaining Committee worked throughout the day, on February 13, 2017, and then late into the evening to prepare a response to the Company’s first bargaining package. As you have read in Bargaining Reports #8 and #9 the Company’s first proposal has no chance of being accepted by your Bargaining Committee. The CWA Committee worked until 11:30 p.m. last night preparing a comprehensive set of proposals to present to the Company on February 14, 2017. We also plan to remind the Company that both the Union and the Company agreed to go into early bargaining to achieve a good contract before the expiration of the 2013 Labor Agreement.

The CWA Bargaining wants to thank all of our Locals and Members for ramping up Mobilization activities yesterday, and we have been receiving reports this morning that you are letting your Managers know what you think of the Company’s first proposal. Great Work, continue to tell your Managers that we are all in this together. We won’t give up and are determined to last one day longer than the Company to achieve a fair and just contract.

Your CWA Bargaining Committee

AT&T SW BARGAINING REPORT #9

February 13, 2017

As discussed in Bargaining Report #8, this is a follow-up bargaining report regarding only Appendix J Employees. Many of the Company’s Bargaining demands in Bargaining Report #8 affect Appendix J Employees. The Company Bargaining demands listed in this report are specific to Appendix J Employees.

The Company shall have sole discretion to assign Appendix J employees to participate in the AT&T Home Dispatch Program.
The Company at its discretion, may offer jobs in Appendix J titles to employees not in Appendix J through the 2017 Labor Agreements
Amend Supplemental Statement 2., Basis of Compensation, Section 3., Overtime – the elimination of the 17 hour limit for overtime
Amend Supplemental Statement 2., Basis of Compensation, to delete Section 5., – delete Sunday Premium Payments
Amend Supplement Statement 3., Work Schedules, Section 1., Work Schedules, to delete employees preference in order of seniority, the forty-eight (48) hours notice requirement for schedule changes and delete the thirty-two (32) hours of work guarantee
Amend Supplemental Statement 3., Work Schedules Section 3., Cancellation of Hours, to delete paragraph 3.b.
Amend Supplemental Statement 4., Holidays, Section 1., Paid Holidays, to delete the Day After Thanksgiving
Amend Supplemental Statement 5., Vacations, to delete Section 3., delete carryover vacation
Amend Supplemental Statement 6., Personal Days, Section 1., Personal Days Off, to increase the number of personal days off from seven to eight
Amend Supplemental Statement 7., Absences from Duty, Section 5., to add the following sentence – Employee’s hired after April 8, 2017 shall not be eligible for any paid illness days
Amend Supplemental Statement 11., Travel, Section 2.d., Travel and Temporary Work Locations, delete “ Insofar as the service requirements and abilities of the employees will permit, as determined by management, employee preference in order of seniority shall be taken into account in the assignment of overnight trips.”

Memorandums of Agreement – Deleted

Memorandum of Agreement – Informal Surplus
Memorandum of Agreement – Four-Day Work Week
Motor Vehicle Usage Program

CWA Bargaining Reports #8 and #9 summarize the Company’s initial proposal to the CWA Bargaining Committee. It is obvious after analyzing the Company’s proposal that they intend to delete as many work rules as they can from the Labor Agreement. In addition they seem determined to pass on substantial costs regarding Benefits to Employees. Your CWA Committee is determined that this will not happen. But it takes all of us sticking together to send a strong message to the Company. Talk to your fellow Union Members, educate them as to what the Company is attempting to do. Tell your Managers that you stand shoulder to shoulder with your Union Committee, and that we will not rest until we have negotiated a fair Labor Agreement.

Mobilize Mobilize Mobilize

AT&T SW BARGAINING REPORT #8

February 13, 2017

The CWA Bargaining Committee met with the Company on February 9, 2017. The Company presented a complete package proposal to the Union. The Union Bargaining Committee spent Friday, February 10, 2017 and the entire weekend meeting with the Company, as well as analyzing the package to fully understand the totality of the Company proposal. To characterize the Company’s proposal as retrogressive would be sugar coating the description. Listed below are the “lowlights” of the Company’s package proposal.

A 1.5% wage increase to base wages in each year of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Deletion of Article V – Cost of Living Allowance
The elimination of the Night Differential
The elimination of Article IV, Section 6, paragraph b. pay treatment for Cable Splicing Technicians
The Union will no longer be notified of major incentive plans that will be implemented
Employees may be excluded from any Incentive Plans for any reason
The elimination of Overtime at Two Times the Basic Hourly Rate
The elimination of Severance Payments for any reason
All employees will have only five paid illness days
A day of waiting for all employees before being eligible for a paid illness day
All employees hired after April 8, 2017 shall not be eligible for any paid illness days
Leverage Service Representative change – 50% wage rate in base pay, 50% in the target incentive
Leverage Service Representative – target incentive shall be capped at 250%
The elimination of the Leverage Service Representative Sales Committee
Refusal of a lateral transfer from a Service Representative to a Leveraged Service Representative position in a surplus condition shall now be considered a job declination
The elimination of displacement rights for a Service Representative
The elimination of pay protection for Customer Services Technicians who were forced into the Premise Technician title because of a surplus condition
The Day after Thanksgiving shall be removed as a Holiday and replaced with a Floating Holiday
Only one week of vacation may be carried over into the following year
Transitional Leave of Absence language in the surplus process – from no earlier than 28 days to no earlier than day 14
Temporary Employees – change maximum length of employment from 18 months to 36 months
Reduce the time an employee may file a grievance from 45 days to 30 days
Reduce the number of employees that might be paid for attending a grievance meeting from three to two
Effective January 1, 2018, Current Employees who participate in the Southwest Program of the AT&T Pension Benefit Plan will not be eligible for future pension band increases
Effective January 1, 2018, the lump sum optional form of payment of the AT&T Pension Benefit plan will only be available for the benefit accrued prior to January 1, 2018
Effective January 1, 2018, for those employees eligible for the Bargained Cash Balance Program #2 of the AT&T Pension Benefit Plan, (BCB2), will only be available for benefit accruals prior to January 1, 2018
Effective January 1, 2018, all 2017 New Hires shall not be eligible to participate in any AT&T sponsored pension plan or policy

Benefits

Employee Contributions for the Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Care Plus, and Life Insurance shall be at the following percentages:

(2018 – 29%)(2019 – 30%)(2020 – 32%)(2021 – 32%)

Replacement of the AT&T Medical and Group Life Insurance Plan – Custom Care with the Southwest Medical Program
Replacement of the AT&T Dental Plan with the AT&T Dental Program
Replacement of the AT&T Vision Plan with the AT&T Vision Program
Replacement of the AT&T Medical and Group Life Insurance Plan – Group Life Insurance with the AT&T Group Life Insurance Program for Active Employees
Replacement of the AT&T Disability Income Program for Southwest Bargained Employees (52 week plan) with the AT&T Disability Income Program (26 week plan)
Replacement of the AT&T Employee Assistance Plan (AT&T Employee Assistance Program*) with the AT&T Employee Assistance Program
Amend – that the Company may unilaterally modify or discontinue Insurance Plans and the AT&T Voluntary Benefits Platform without further discussions with the Union
Eliminate the Benefit Committee

The follow Memorandums of Agreement shall be deleted:

CWA Internal Appeal Process

Extended Employment Opportunity Period

Facilities Locate Work

Hometown Job Security Commitment

Surplus Leaves of Absence

Informal Surplus

Modified Procedures for Expedited Arbitration

National Transfer Plan

Presidential Council

Regarding Neutrality and Card Check Recognition

Recovery of Wage or Benefit Overpayments

The following Task Forces shall be deleted:

Communications Consultant Joint Leadership Forum

Global Positioning System

Revenue Management Representative Working Group

Service Representative Review Committee

Two Hour Notification

The CWA Bargaining Committee has not completed analyzing the Company’s proposals for Appendix J employees.The Committee will send out a bargaining report later today with those Company demands.After reading this report Members are now aware of the fight we are in at the negotiating table with the Company.Your Committee will not give up until we have a good contract for all of our Members.We need your support, step up the Mobilization activities.

AT&T SW BARGAINING REPORT #7

February 10, 2017

The CWA Bargaining Committee met with the Company on February 9, 2017, for a long negotiating session during the afternoon. The CWA bargaining chair, Mike Neumann, provided answers to the Company on previous questions they had regarding the Union’s proposals.

The Union Bargaining Committee presented the Company with two data requests regarding the Materials Distribution Center in Lancaster Texas and the Regional Distribution Center locations.

The Company presented their first bargaining proposal to the Union. The Company presented what they characterized as an integrated package to the Union. The package includes:

Wage Compensation
An amended Article XI – Absences From Duty
A proposal on Article XVII – Severance Payments
The Success Sharing Plan
A proposal on Article V – Cost of Living Allowance
An amended Appendix J Supplemental Statements
An amended Article XVII – Force Adjustment
An amended compensation for Leveraged Service Representatives
An amended Article XV – Temporary Work in Higher Positions
An amended Article VIII – Holidays
An amended Article IX – Vacations
An amended Article XIII – Job Vacancy
An amended Article XVII – Force Adjustment
An amended Article II – Classification of Employees
An amended Article XIX – Grievances
An amended Article X – Technology Change
An amended Article XXIV – Safety and Health
Complete changes to the Health and Welfare Benefit Plans

The Union Committee worked late into the night analyzing the Company’s bargaining proposal. The Committee began work early this morning continuing to study the Company proposal and to formulate questions in order to totally comprehend what the Company has proposed. The CWA Bargaining Committee thanks all the Local Presidents and Mobilization Coordinators that were on the Mobilization call last night. We feel your support.

We are United in Achieving a Fair Contract