Working Without A Contract: What It Means for Us

As we all know, our contract expired at 12:01 AM on 2/25/2012. Our bargaining committee was in talks with AT&T at that time, talks which continued late into the night. Unfortunately, AT&T continues to push for concessions that we simply cannot accept. Last night AT&T’s bargaining committee declined offers to continue working under the terms of our current contract or “stop the clock” while bargaining continues, and we have elected to work without a contract for the time being.

AT&T may not care about it’s employees or its customers, but we certainly do. Working without a contract means that we will continue to report to work as always, ready and willing to help. We will continue to go above and beyond for our customers, protecting the company’s reputation and demonstrating our superior customer service skills.

The terms and conditions of our employment remain the same, including pay and benefits such as our pensions and health care. Our grievance procedures are largely unaffected, though we may lose the ability to take grievances to arbitration during this period; relying instead on our bargaining committee to negotiate any disciplinary actions at the bargaining table.

An important aspect of working without a contract is that we no longer have a “no strike / no lockout” agreement, meaning that the company has the right to decide to lock us out of work. While we consider this unlikely, we are prepared for the possibility. In the state of Texas you are eligible for unemployment benefits in the event of a lockout, and under normal circumstances we cannot be permanently replaced, regardless of the rhetoric. Remember — we have the right to strike. At this time, we are not exercising that right out of concern for AT&T’s customers and our membership. We are dedicated to continuing to provide a superior customer service experience.

During these contract negotiations, your direct managers often feel extraordinary pressure. Follow all company policies and procedures to the letter. Never rely on your experience and memory when assisting a customer, always use the company-provided reference materials. Work safely, stay strong and stay united. Do not put your stressed-out supervisors in a position where they need to discipline you. They will almost certainly be expected to be doing everything exactly by the book at this time, do not take your good rapport with your manager for granted.

It cannot be stressed enough: You’re all experts at your jobs. Make an extra effort to shine every moment of every day during these negotiations. When customers want to speak with or write to management to sing your praises, help them to do so. Take no shortcuts in your jobs; follow instructions to the letter. Adapt to changing instructions and stay united. Keep in close contact with your stewards and your local. Throughout the district, the locals are united. AT&T sees this unity, and when they see that delays cannot chip away at it, we will prevail in winning the good, fair contract we deserve.

During the days ahead we ask that our members keep in mind our brothers and sisters in districts 1, 4, 9 and Legacy T whose contracts are all set to expire on April the 7th, and are gearing up for similar negotiations with AT&T.