President’s Page |
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We are well in to the spring season. Schools are out and families are planning their vacation and a great summer! My hope for you is that you all have a safe vacation and a great summer! I know that all of us feel the strain of inflation – gas prices, food – anything we do is costing so much more that a lot of us will be taking shorter trips and fewer vacations.
This leads me to think more and more about the future. When and how will these rising costs come to an end? I don’t believe anyone has the answer, but I hope that all of us are preparing for what might happen in 2009. August 9th, 2009, is the expiration of the AT&T contract and we will be negotiating a new one, which will not be easy.
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How can a company with record profits, in good conscience, ask for cut backs from the very people who brought them these profits? |
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Do they have a conscience? By President Rick Feinstein |
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At the CWA District 3 Meeting in Orlando, the Local President’s voted unanimously to go to early bargaining. The old SBC contract is up in April. We will be there to try to keep the good language in our contract and get it added to their contract. Of course, as we try to maintain our language, AT&T will be trying to take away language, as well as benefits. We must not let that happen.
AT&T has already fired the first shot about “take backs”. They claim there must be REDUCTIONS IN PAY, and BENEFITS, especially RETIREE BENEFITS. There are already rumors that AT&T is asking our members to take a 15% pay cut; that new hires have no post retirement benefits, and retirees be placed in a separate health care plan from active employees. We have also heard they want to attack our retirement package. We have fought this fight before and they must know we will fight again.
The question I would like to ask is: How can a company with record profits, in good conscience, ask for cut backs from the very people who brought them these profits? I guess the real question is, do they have a conscience?
We will find out in 2009. In the meantime, we must be united and let AT&T and its stockholders know that if they want to have continuing success, they must work with us and bargain in good faith. |
