Here we are in the 13th hour! Does anyone have any clue what kind of package the company has so generously offered us? Has anyone heard any details on what the union is demanding? Wonder why it’s been so quiet this bargaining. Usually we know a lot more of what’s going on, as we get closer to contract expiration.
36 replies (most recent on top)
@2iur the contracts will be ratified regardless of how you vote, the agreements have already been made behind closed doors.
Fact people don’t talk about: most people have very hard time wrapping the month with full paychecks, bunch of techs were freaking out when we went from too much overtime to zero overtime because of the gap in funds. Who can afford to strike? VPs who make over 200k know that WE the people can’t and the union can’t pay the loss. That’s why we haven’t seen a strike since Fred Flintstone.
I’m not going to vote to ratify a c-ap contract just because it will make the company surplus more people. That will be done regardless!!
The last real strike by the CWA/IBEW against Ma Bell was in 1983, that’s 36 years since any true action has been taken. Now the company has all the leverage, contracts across our 21 states don’t align so any work stoppage would be regional at best. The company used to push skills profile and strike duty training for managers but as someone mentioned below, they aren’t even giving out job assignments right now.
There won’t to be a moment of solidarity that somehow brings all the regions together and even if there was. It’s not going to slow down the changes in technology or the skyrocketing cost of health care.
Counting on the union to somehow roll back the clock to “the good old days” is just setting yourself up for disappointment.
AT&T leadership has one mission right now and that’s cutting expense while reducing debt. Anything that goes against that will be stopped in it’s tracks. Don’t give Randy a reason to cut additional workforce because I guarantee every dollar the union gets in benefits or pay increase will immediately be countered by surplus to balance the budget
The company is wanting to ditch term pay. Surely, we will certainly strike over that! They can't take that away, unless the union allows it!!
Take what you can get and then either use your field time to network with your customers for a lead on another job or just shut up and milk this cow until your time runs out.
Managers scheduled to be eliminated will be required to work strike duty. Please wear a clean shirt and pants, you have to work now, vacations over.
As a manager we were required to update skills profile some time ago, this time however no managers in my region were given a strike assignment. It’s not even a topic of discussion, so what does that tell you.
These contracts have already been decided behind closed doors.
After the company gets rid of 911 managers will sign. Au revoir manager.
D4 will almost for sure ratify. All the core people will vote yes and there's not enough Prem techs left to vote it down. Should find out tomorrow.
@1nao...easy tiger! That kind of talk can get your po$t Dee Lee Ted.
@1fmj....and when they are laying craft & management off left right with more to come, that is not the time to be demanding. A unified nationwide contract date should have been worked for starting with the 1st post merger(Bellsouth to T) contract for the SE(D3). Walking one district at a time is at best symbolic and ultimately futile. Unity across the nation is our only hope. Good luck getting the U management to do it.
Let’s see if D4 members ratify the TA or not. If they do ratify , you can hardly blame leadership for that. If they DONT ratify then D3 and D4 have a rare opportunity to flex some leverage together. Where I DO blame leadership is not working together across districts to eventually eliminate the districts and strive for one contract. One company , one Union so one contract it should be. These districts divide us. They are obsolete remnants of the RBOCS.
“This contract extension gives AT&T one week to get serious and put an offer on the table that will improve the standard of living for our members. This also gives our members one week to prepare for what may have to happen if AT&T chooses not to do so.”
Woah powerful ✊
Would be absolutely floored if D3 ever walked. And be prepared for sh–ty vague updates from union.
Or D3 will just get the same offer D4 did.
@1fmj...911 craft employees been declared surplused in the 2019 3rd Quarter in the Southeast
@1wtq...looks like you stole the playbook!
Next Saturday the CWA will announce a 6 hour strike. It will start Sunday at midnight and end Monday at 6 am. That’ll teach the company to fear the union again. A few weeks later the union will announce that they have brought the mighty ATT to their knees with a contract that offers a 9% wage increase and a 40% increase in insurance premiums over the life of the agreement. The icing on the cake will be no layoffs through the end of 2019. The CWA will spin it as “Hard fought gains for our membership”. The company will put in the stipulation that if it isn’t ratified in 2 weeks retro pay will be off the table. Everyone will vote yes and get their $47 in back pay and the company and union officials can go get back in bed together. Full Disclosure....the preceding is a fictional account of what may happen......or is it?
So will 1 week be the absolute cut off, or will the union agree to keep extending the contract like they did with D4? We all know what will happen.
Forgive my ignorance; but, please explain/expand on the following sentence.
"With 911 recently announced surplused, and no indication of slowing down from future surpluses, now isn't the time to be bowing up, that should have happened at the 1st post merger contract."
I missed this. I have no idea what you are talking about.
Extended contract for one week
- nothing to see here. Keep moving
Crickets, strike ready
Union is a eunuch
No balls
@1zrf...shocker.... management never even asked for our keys....that ought to tell you folks that they don't fear the U at all!
Just got the email. D3 is gonna be working without one.
guess it's business as usual Monday morning eh?
@fay..nahh..u can pay,participate, and vote no all you want but you get what the U agrees with T to give you whether you like it or not. Pay, health care benefits, paying for your healthcare benefits, job security, your WS30 ST work being given to wire techs, keeping jobs in house, shipping jobs to India it's all the same. The U can't beat their chest and claim every good thing that happens is because of them and every bad thing that happens is because of T. Folks are getting tired of drinking that koolaid.
The whiners b–ching about their union are the same ones who never participate. You get out what you put in. The union is you folks duh.
Contract*
Took D4 over a year out of course tract to reach a TA. Which just happened to be like 3 weeks before D3’s contract expired. Wouldn’t be surprised if you guys are in for a long wait.
Never see union reps in our yard unless it’s a grievance or them showing up to represent 1 person for an infraction. Then again they don’t speak to us techs about the union, benefits, info and not even a howdy doody. Worthless b–tards in Distruct 3, Cocoa Fl union reps.
Union has no leverage, T will give them 1 option is to take what’s on the table which is do more for less or will keep sending them hone until you have no members to pay for your expensive lifestyle.
CWA Sold out their Members years ago. Find yourself another job. AT&T is a sinking ship!
If you still want to work your best hope is that they don't give you a go home package. T isn't just hating on craft, they're cutting craft & management left and right. The fiber backbone should always be there but the switched and sonet services will always be in a state of decline.
Animosity between wire techs and service techs isn't good for the team effort either. If you are doing WS30 ST work you should be treated so, but if you were a WS30 ST, your work should have never been given away in the first place. The U allowed this can of worms to be opened in the first place.
With 911 recently announced surplused, and no indication of slowing down from future surpluses, now isn't the time to be bowing up, that should have happened at the 1st post merger contract. Throw in the fact that the U's management(yep, it's always us vs management in more ways than one) wants no part of a unified contract date doesn't leave us many options.
With less than 24 hours before contract expiration, we expect the company to move our direction because they know that our members are willing to do whatever it takes to gain the contract that they deserve.
Lol okie dokie
Quiet as a church mouse...managers didn't mention it at all, in the past they always reminded us to turn in our keys, cell phones, badges, etc...crickets.