Union Workers Settle Temporary Agreement

By Jennifer Pierce, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Thousands of AT&T workers across the country were prepared to fight for their jobs, better working conditions, and health benefits, including employees in Oklahoma.

The picket signs were ready and Communications Workers of America, the union some AT&T employees are members of, were waiting for the go ahead Saturday night.

The contract between the CWA and AT&T was set to expire Saturday at midnight, but a temporary agreement has been reached between union workers and AT&T, which means a strike has been avoided for now. The details of that agreement have not yet been released.

The union workers say they will go on strike if negotiations on healthcare costs, wages, pensions and work rules are not reached. 

"There is a significant difference in the proposals that have been presented to the CWA bargaining committee from AT&T Corporation," said Jerry Butler of the CWA.

CWA workers include technicians and call center employees.

AT&T was proposing to cut some of that workforce and increase their health care costs, but union representatives argue that's not fair given the $12.9 billion success of the company last year.

"When you are talking about AT&T, you are talking about a very profitable company and it certainly doesn't sit well with our membership to believe that AT&T Corporation is in the position to be proposing job cuts to benefits," Butler said.

Profits are up in the wireless business, but AT&T landline service is on a downslide, and that's how CWA union workers pay the bills.

A spokesperson for AT&T released the following statement:

"We want to maintain good jobs with excellent wages and benefits. However, our core wireline employees pay no premiums and pay only 8 percent of their health care costs, similar to what workers at the Big 3 automakers pay, and it's clear what those sorts of unsustainable costs have done to America's auto industry."

Union representatives said they are part of the company's success and are staying mindful of the current economic conditions.

If union workers did strike, AT&T had been planning for two years to handle a work stoppage, and said the company would provide the best customer service possible.