Andy Milburn, V.P.-CWA District 6
On January 1, 1984, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
(SWBT), a former subsidiary of the AT&T Corporation, took its
first step as a Baby Bell or Regional Bell Operating Company
(RBOC). SWBT and CWA were in recovery from a 21-day strike
that had been provoked by its mother company, AT&T, in its
efforts to shift health care costs to union workers. There was much
speculation whether a small RBOC, like SWBT, could survive in
the competitive environment it was facing. SWBT, soon to
become SBC Communications, and CWA recognized if the
company, the workers, and the union were to succeed, it would
take a partnership to get the job done. And so, the partnership
began to grow and flourish.
Quality of Work Life became Participative Management/Employee
Involvement. Common Interest Forums were established for CWA
Local Officers and Company Managers, and a Strategic Alliance
was formed for the top-ranking CWA Officers and SBC Managers.
SBC realized the value of the CWA workers’ knowledge and
productivity and the clout that CWA had with state and federal
legislatures. Through our partnership, we lobbied every state
capitol in the District and Washington D.C. for legislation that
would allow SBC to compete and grow. Our efforts proved to be
very successful--so successful that the once small RBOC,
Southwestern Bell Telephone, went on to purchase other RBOCs
and its own mother, AT&T. Today, AT&T is the largest and most
successful telecommunications company in the world and a
testament that our partnership has worked. It is CWA’s belief that
the respect, collaboration and partnership we have built over the
years lays the groundwork for successful negotiations.
-2-
As we enter these negotiations, AT&T is financially sound and
well-positioned for 2009 and the future. AT&T made $12.9 billion
in profits last year. It paid its top executives $33.5 million in 2008
and paid $9.8 billion in dividends to investors. CEO Randall
Stephenson stated, “Despite the economic environment, we grew
revenues in 2008 and I expect 2009 will be another year of overall
revenue growth and solid progress for our company.”
We have heard it before from AT&T and, undoubtedly, we will
hear it again at the bargaining table that AT&T needs a
competitive cost structure. In plain English, AT&T would like to
lower the wages and benefits of its employees to the level of those
workers at its cable TV company competitors. CWA has no
intention of participating in a race to the bottom. We should look
for ways to stimulate the economy, not shrink it. When workers
have less, the economy doesn’t grow. And with $12.9 billion in
profits last year, AT&T is competing quite well. However, by
working with CWA, AT&T can help level the playing field with its
competitors by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act. When
the Employee Free Choice Act is passed, cable TV workers will
join unions by the thousands and the competitive playing field will
become level.
So if AT&T can take care of its executives and investors, it can
look out for those who create these profits--its employees. CWA
members are a key part of the company’s success. It should keep
its commitments to its employees and retirees. Cutting benefits
and breaking promises to retirees on fixed incomes is not only the
wrong thing to do, but it is especially wrong in this economic
downturn. We cannot stimulate the economy by reducing the
standard of living. Rather, AT&T should be a leader in helping
turn the economy around, not offshoring jobs, cutting jobs and
reducing benefits.
-3-
In 2004, we bargained for the high tech jobs of the future. AT&T
has fallen short on keeping its commitment to its workers. Most of
the evolving work goes to lower-paid jobs with lesser benefits,
contractors, non-bargained-for workers and offshore. Put America
back in the jobs. AT&T stands for AMERICAN Telephone &
Telegraph, CWA stands for Communications Workers of
AMERICA. Make the “America” in our names’ meaningful to the
American worker.
While there are many important issues we must address in this
round of bargaining, health care is THE issue. Health care reform
has been a big issue for many years and we finally have the
opportunity to achieve a comprehensive health care system. With
an administration that is willing to move forward on health care
reform along with determined members of Congress, we have a
real opportunity to take health care off the bargaining table with
major employers and create a system that corresponds with the
kind of coverage every other industrialized country provides.
I know that AT&T has been involved with CWA and others in
trying to move the health care debate forward. It is those efforts
that will fix health care. A 21-day strike in 1983 against the
original mother Bell and a 4-day strike in 2004 proved that health
care cannot be fixed at the bargaining table and it can’t be done by
shifting costs to workers. That won’t work. We should learn from
history and not let it repeat itself.
AT&T employees already contribute to health care costs and have
accepted less in wages during past negotiations to offset health
care cost. Our goal should be to work together so that your
competition, other employers that don’t provide quality health care
to their employees, pays a fair share of what is a social good.
-4-
We have CWA Members at AT&T Mobility (Orange Contract)
who are working without a contract. You should know of our
solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters at Mobility. We have a
saying in the Labor movement, “An injury to one is an injury to
all.” This is not just a slogan to us but a commitment to one
another. We strongly encourage you to use your influence to
achieve a satisfactory agreement quickly for Mobility.
You should also be aware that the members of District 6 stand
ready to support their elected-bargaining committee members by
whatever means are necessary to achieve a fair and equitable
contract.
Let us be clear about our goals in these talks. We represent the
members of AT&T Southwest in Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma,
Kansas and Arkansas. We come here today to bargain a regional
Agreement with you and look forward to productive discussions
that will enable us to reach a quality agreement that will set the
standard for the industry.
On January 1, 1984, Southwestern Bell Telephone Company
(SWBT), a former subsidiary of the AT&T Corporation, took its
first step as a Baby Bell or Regional Bell Operating Company
(RBOC). SWBT and CWA were in recovery from a 21-day strike
that had been provoked by its mother company, AT&T, in its
efforts to shift health care costs to union workers. There was much
speculation whether a small RBOC, like SWBT, could survive in
the competitive environment it was facing. SWBT, soon to
become SBC Communications, and CWA recognized if the
company, the workers, and the union were to succeed, it would
take a partnership to get the job done. And so, the partnership
began to grow and flourish.
Quality of Work Life became Participative Management/Employee
Involvement. Common Interest Forums were established for CWA
Local Officers and Company Managers, and a Strategic Alliance
was formed for the top-ranking CWA Officers and SBC Managers.
SBC realized the value of the CWA workers’ knowledge and
productivity and the clout that CWA had with state and federal
legislatures. Through our partnership, we lobbied every state
capitol in the District and Washington D.C. for legislation that
would allow SBC to compete and grow. Our efforts proved to be
very successful--so successful that the once small RBOC,
Southwestern Bell Telephone, went on to purchase other RBOCs
and its own mother, AT&T. Today, AT&T is the largest and most
successful telecommunications company in the world and a
testament that our partnership has worked. It is CWA’s belief that
the respect, collaboration and partnership we have built over the
years lays the groundwork for successful negotiations.
-2-
As we enter these negotiations, AT&T is financially sound and
well-positioned for 2009 and the future. AT&T made $12.9 billion
in profits last year. It paid its top executives $33.5 million in 2008
and paid $9.8 billion in dividends to investors. CEO Randall
Stephenson stated, “Despite the economic environment, we grew
revenues in 2008 and I expect 2009 will be another year of overall
revenue growth and solid progress for our company.”
We have heard it before from AT&T and, undoubtedly, we will
hear it again at the bargaining table that AT&T needs a
competitive cost structure. In plain English, AT&T would like to
lower the wages and benefits of its employees to the level of those
workers at its cable TV company competitors. CWA has no
intention of participating in a race to the bottom. We should look
for ways to stimulate the economy, not shrink it. When workers
have less, the economy doesn’t grow. And with $12.9 billion in
profits last year, AT&T is competing quite well. However, by
working with CWA, AT&T can help level the playing field with its
competitors by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act. When
the Employee Free Choice Act is passed, cable TV workers will
join unions by the thousands and the competitive playing field will
become level.
So if AT&T can take care of its executives and investors, it can
look out for those who create these profits--its employees. CWA
members are a key part of the company’s success. It should keep
its commitments to its employees and retirees. Cutting benefits
and breaking promises to retirees on fixed incomes is not only the
wrong thing to do, but it is especially wrong in this economic
downturn. We cannot stimulate the economy by reducing the
standard of living. Rather, AT&T should be a leader in helping
turn the economy around, not offshoring jobs, cutting jobs and
reducing benefits.
-3-
In 2004, we bargained for the high tech jobs of the future. AT&T
has fallen short on keeping its commitment to its workers. Most of
the evolving work goes to lower-paid jobs with lesser benefits,
contractors, non-bargained-for workers and offshore. Put America
back in the jobs. AT&T stands for AMERICAN Telephone &
Telegraph, CWA stands for Communications Workers of
AMERICA. Make the “America” in our names’ meaningful to the
American worker.
While there are many important issues we must address in this
round of bargaining, health care is THE issue. Health care reform
has been a big issue for many years and we finally have the
opportunity to achieve a comprehensive health care system. With
an administration that is willing to move forward on health care
reform along with determined members of Congress, we have a
real opportunity to take health care off the bargaining table with
major employers and create a system that corresponds with the
kind of coverage every other industrialized country provides.
I know that AT&T has been involved with CWA and others in
trying to move the health care debate forward. It is those efforts
that will fix health care. A 21-day strike in 1983 against the
original mother Bell and a 4-day strike in 2004 proved that health
care cannot be fixed at the bargaining table and it can’t be done by
shifting costs to workers. That won’t work. We should learn from
history and not let it repeat itself.
AT&T employees already contribute to health care costs and have
accepted less in wages during past negotiations to offset health
care cost. Our goal should be to work together so that your
competition, other employers that don’t provide quality health care
to their employees, pays a fair share of what is a social good.
-4-
We have CWA Members at AT&T Mobility (Orange Contract)
who are working without a contract. You should know of our
solidarity with our Brothers and Sisters at Mobility. We have a
saying in the Labor movement, “An injury to one is an injury to
all.” This is not just a slogan to us but a commitment to one
another. We strongly encourage you to use your influence to
achieve a satisfactory agreement quickly for Mobility.
You should also be aware that the members of District 6 stand
ready to support their elected-bargaining committee members by
whatever means are necessary to achieve a fair and equitable
contract.
Let us be clear about our goals in these talks. We represent the
members of AT&T Southwest in Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma,
Kansas and Arkansas. We come here today to bargain a regional
Agreement with you and look forward to productive discussions
that will enable us to reach a quality agreement that will set the
standard for the industry.
| COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA |
LOCAL 6222
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