AT&T unions

[Will E Worm]

AT&T hopes to gain concessions from unions.

AT&T the largest employer of union labor in the country, is renegotiating contracts that cover 112,500 workers and looks set to take advantage of the recession to reduce its health care costs.

Five regional union contracts expire on April 4. A sixth that expires a few months later is being negotiated at the same time.

The last time this batch of contracts was up for negotiation, five years ago, there was a four-day strike that was seen as a minor victory for the Communications Workers of America. But this time, the economic meltdown has shifted the balance of power decidedly toward the employer.

"This is not the time to get involved in a strike. It's incredibly bad timing," said Gary Chaison, a professor of industrial relations at Clark University.

Article


That's not a good idea. Seems they just want the right to do as they wish without any interference.

Firing anyone they want to like older workers for starters.

I might be for it if they would agree to treating their employees like humans and give them raises and vacation time in a timely manner.

That's not the case for many none Union companies.

 

[biomech]

As I have said before, I am the Vice President of a local union.
Already this year some of the units I represent have been faced with tough decisions on concessions; sometimes it is not what you would like to do but in these economic times you have to make up your mind.
How does it affect the people you represent, is it a short term deal, and down the road can you use it as leverage for future negotiations . Recently even the teamsters at YRC took temporary pay decreases to keep the company afloat.
I will say though that these companies need to treat the workers with the respect they deserve.
Biomech

 

[shayd]

Article


That's not a good idea. Seems they just want the right to do as they wish without any interference.

They absolutely do. That's not exclusive to AT&T though, all major cell phone companies operate the exact same way. They right now can legally set contracts for customers that are nothing short of absurd, and then charge exorbitant rates for simplistic things like text messaging (which in fact, incurs no cost to the cell phone companies to provide). The whole cell phone industry just makes me angry.

 

[D-rock]

Don't worry, as soon as the economy turns around all those companies that asked for concessions will be in a hurry to give all those benefits back to the workers that they no longer have. :rofl:

 

[titsrock]

This sure sounds like a great country we live in huh...companies treat their employees like animals and their customers like pests...

 

[gunslingingbird]

They absolutely do. That's not exclusive to AT&T though, all major cell phone companies operate the exact same way. They right now can legally set contracts for customers that are nothing short of absurd, and then charge exorbitant rates for simplistic things like text messaging (which in fact, incurs no cost to the cell phone companies to provide). The whole cell phone industry just makes me angry.

Right, but you're talking about the consumer side of the company. The article addresses the employee side of it.

AT&T is the only union wireless phone service provider in the US. All other companies are non-union, and have their employees completely by the balls. I'm not saying AT&T is the best company to work for, but it's definitely more promising than the other companies that don't allow their employees to have representation.

One good thing that AT&T does is give union members 10% off their monthly bill. I wish I would've known that before I signed a 2-year agreement with Verizon. :crash:

 

[assholebythedoor]

They should pull the plugg on communication. Make people write letters and get to the bottom of this cotrastraphy thats how this all started. but there not going to do that. Plus they dont want to lose their jobs. So they continue to work. But I don't think it should happen any longer. I would quit.

 

[shayd]

Right, but you're talking about the consumer side of the company. The article addresses the employee side of it.

AT&T is the only union wireless phone service provider in the US. All other companies are non-union, and have their employees completely by the balls. I'm not saying AT&T is the best company to work for, but it's definitely more promising than the other companies that don't allow their employees to have representation.

One good thing that AT&T does is give union members 10% off their monthly bill. I wish I would've known that before I signed a 2-year agreement with Verizon. :crash:

I tried to make a point there, but I think my wording wasn't ideal. My whole point with the way that the cell phone companies work on the consumer side should be indicative of how they work on the employee side. If a company is making a killing the way the cell phone industry does, typically unions demand higher wages as a result, more money should mean higher pay. Problem is, AT&T is doing to exact opposite.