Minnesota workers encouraged by tentative agreement with AT&T

AT&T employees across the country have been working without contracts since several expired in early April. Workplaces include AT&T’s downtown Minneapolis call centers, which employ about 320 members of CWA Local 7250 and 120 members of CWA Local 7200.

Details of the agreement have not been announced, but are being made available to members, who are expected to vote on the pact later this month, the union said.

“In these extremely difficult economic times, with the unemployment rate continuing to skyrocket, this team made protecting our members\’ jobs its number one mission,” the national bargaining committee said in a statement announcing its unanimous support of the agreement.

“Although we did not accomplish everything we would have liked in this bargaining and continue to be angry about the health care cost-shifting this company imposed on us, we feel that we were able to meet our main goal.”

In Minneapolis, Local 7250 President Shari Wojtowicz praised the solidarity of the membership and the support of other unions and organizations.

“Our members did a great job standing behind the bargaining team, and your participation in our actions affirmed that CWA was not in this battle alone,” she wrote in an e-mail to supporters.

“We would like to do a special shout out to the Minneapolis Regional Labor Fed, Minneapolis Labor Review, AFL-CIO, St Paul Regional Labor Fed, Gubernatorial Candidate Matt Entenza, OPEIU, AFSCME, SEIU, UFCW, Starbucks Workers Union & UAW for showing support during this long struggle against corporate greed.”

While a settlement was reached with the long-distance company Legacy AT&T, bargaining is continuing for about 65,000 CWA-represented members at other AT&T branches. These negotiations include AT&T East (CWA District 1), Southeast (District 3) and Southwest (District 6). CWA members at AT&T Midwest, CWA District 4, overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year agreement on Aug. 7 and CWA members at AT&T West, CWA District 9, are voting now on a tentative agreement with the results due Sept. 1.

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