Communications Workers authorize strike at AT&T

By an 88%-12% margin, the Communications Workers of America voted March 23 to authorize a strike against AT&T’s companies, if necessary. The decision to actually walk out, however, is up to the union’s executive board.

CWA members picketed last week outside AT&T offices in downtown Minneapolis. Workday Minnesota photo

To show they mean business, CWA members at AT&T workplaces nationwide spent much of March in various forms of protests. At the AT&T call centers in downtown Minneapolis, members of Locals 7200 and 7250 conducted informational picketing.

“Our local voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike,” said Shari Wojtowicz, president of Local 7250. The downtown Minneapolis call centers employ about 320 members of Local 7250 and 120 members of Local 7200, she said.

Health care tops the issues in the bargaining between the six AT&T companies and the union, which represents 125,000 workers nationwide. All contracts expire April 4, except for AT&T Southeast, which ends Aug. 6. The other firms involved in the talks are AT&T East (formerly Southern New England Telephone), AT&T Southeast (BellSouth), AT&T Midwest (Ameritech), AT&T Southwest, AT&T West (PacBell) in Pleasanton, Calif., and AT&T Legacy, a nationwide unit.

“The company is proposing incredibly retrogressive changes to our health care plans. Members would have to pay higher premiums, higher deductibles, higher co-insurance, and higher out-of-pocket maximums. The company wants to reduce its costs by moving toward a ‘consumer-driven’ health care plan,” the union said in a national bargaining bulletin.

“The idea is that if an employee\’s family has to pay more for services, they may make a ‘wiser’ consumer choice and not use the services. In truth, families are forced to decide between needed health care services and paying other bills. This is not only unjust and potentially dangerous to employees and their families, but also a foolish way to cut costs now and probably increase them later, when smaller health problems become bigger problems.”

Wojtowicz said her members want to see AT&T become part of a national discussion, led by President Obama, to find a solution to the health care crisis, rather than just continue to shift rising costs onto employees.

CWA noted AT&T reported a $12.9 billion profit last year and expects to make even more this year, despite the economic crash.

The two Minneapolis locals will observe the expiration of the AT&T long distance contract with a solidarity event April 4 from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Local 7200 hall, 3521 East Lake St., Minneapolis. The family-oriented event will feature food and activities for children as members count down the final hours of the contract.

This article contains information from Press Associates, Inc., news service.