Today at the bargaining table, the committee passed more proposals on healthcare benefits and pensions.
On the healthcare front, the company offered a presentation about their “Your Health Matters” wellness program. The committee was quick to point out during negotiations; with the company’s healthcare plan the savings “wellness” plans yield (which have never been tracked) would not be shared with the employees. In other words, they like us to share in the cost…just not the savings.
As far as pensions go…the bargaining team again heard the familiar sound bite;” The Company has no intent or desire to bargain for current retirees”. Bargaining chair Jerry Schaeff challenged the Company’s committee by saying “So basically, AT&T does not care about the employees that built this company!” As would be expected, there was little response…that is until later in the day. The Company went as far as to call the entire bargaining team back to the main table only to pass the union’s Retiree Pension proposal back to us…refusing to bargain any issues related to current retirees. NO RESPECT IN PEOPLE! R.I.P.
The team wrapped up the afternoon by meeting with the Leveraged Title sub-committee and the Healthcare sub-committee.
As usual the company does not care at all about the workers who keep those millions lining their pockets! We work our tails off for them and get nothing back but stress and headaches!
I know I am probably shouting at the wall, so to speak. I am retired from AT&T,Southern Bell, Bellsouth and so on and so forth. For 42yrs I carried the contract with me EVERY DAY and did my best to make sure management adhered to it. I fought for those who didn’t want to be fought for.
Our contract is The Bible we live by at work, even if it hurts you personally, strict adherence to that book is the only way you can get management to take you seriously.
Much hard work and sacrifice is going on right now at bargaining tables across this country. God bless our representatives who are sacrificing their time, money and sanity for their fellow workers.
Ok, take a deep breath and take a good look at the BIG picture. I have had plenty of time to do this since I retired. Since the very dawn of AT&T the company has never CARED about it’s employees. Sure the pay was a notch above other companies and the benefits were considered good. The company pretty much had to offer these benefits because in a time when dial tone was a vital lifeline to not just “plain people” but commercial and security reasons too. AT&T needed intelligent workers with strong backs and a strong sense of dedication and loyalty so they played on your sense of duty and community to achieve that.
When I “hired on” in 1969 most of the existing craftsmen were WW2 or Korea vets. and the new hires were mostly young men like myself, military veterans, who knew what it meant to “stick together” and to act as a “unit”. There is powerful and awesome strength in numbers.
WE DON’T HAVE THESE NUMBERS ANYMORE
There is so much more I need to say but my pills are wearing off and it’s time for a “change”
Believe this though.For all of you union reps. and volunteers out there your path is FUTILE. The contracts were all decided long before the bargaining process began. Top AT&T, CWA, and AFL-CIO ( American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations ) already know what the outcome will be.For everything you gain up front you will lose in the back,always has been and always will be.
The only people being represented in the halls of our government are LOBBYISTS. Top Union officials Mostly Qualify as the top 1% – 2% in national income. Go figure. It’s all out there on the Interweb.
LISTEN TO ME!!!! The only way labor will truly have a fighting chance at the bargaining table is for EVERY SINGLE worker to belong to a ONE Union that represents All WORKING AMERICANS.
THINK ABOUT IT!!! If food service workers in California go on strike, SO DOES EVERY LABOR MEMBER in the country !! now that’s POWER!!
There is so much more. Sit back. Look at it. The 1984 breakup of ( please don’t throw me in the briar patch ) AT&T and the subsequent out-sourcing and systematic “divide and conquer” tactics used against all unions. This is not “conspiracy” theory, it’s all there in black and white.
Have a nice day! 🙁