The bargaining team took a short break to recharge after 27 hours of straight bargaining Monday into Tuesday. The bargaining team is back at the table this morning working to protecting our current language as well as working on gains for all segments of our membership.
The decision to work without a contract is not a sign of weakness or backing down, it’s quite the contrary.
Bargaining is about movement at the table…mobilization (like the actions our members have participated in) is what keeps things moving forward at the table. A strike is utilized when talks have stopped. Striking while progress is being made does not make things move faster; rather it puts in jeopardy all TA’s that have been reached. In the simplest of terms, bargaining is like a flowing river…mobilization keeps the river flowing, if the company stops talking, in essence becoming a dam…that is when a strike becomes necessary (the dam buster).
Working without a contract, eliminates the no strike clause; which means we can strike at any time if the need arises. So, from here on out the company has to be on alert…if the talks stop the trigger can be pulled. That decision would be made without warning, so each local needs to be prepared for that possibility; and we are not out of the woods yet.
In Solidarity,
The Bargaining Team
Well given the managements response to the “working without contract” today, seems as though AT&T is pushing back at the non management employees, finding every loop hole to force us working longer hours, visiting us more on the job and giving us grief for doing the right thing. If this is AT&T’s way of pushing back, we should send them a LOUD and clear message that we will not be bullied in the field with low ball shots against the people who make this company what it is today.