News from
the Communications Workers of America
The Union
for the Information Age
CWA: AT&T Should Work with Us to Find Real Health Care
Solutions
Washington, D.C. The
Communications Workers of America rejects AT&T’s
characterization of current contract negotiations. CWA is
focused on helping middle class families, including nearly
100,000 workers and their families involved in this
bargaining, hold the line against massive health care cost
increases and AT&T’s actions that threaten quality
jobs.
Incredibly, AT&T management
is trying to draw a parallel between a successful and
expanding telecommunications company and the U.S. auto
industry, which for many reasons is not profitable. AT&T
posted profits of $12.9 billion for 2008 and is on track for
solid growth this year, top executives say.
AT&T can and should be a
leader in supporting quality middle class jobs and benefits.
That makes communities and our economy stronger. Instead,
AT&T’s demands at a critical time in our country would
only weaken the economy.
“AT&T must step up its
leadership and continue to work with CWA and others who
recognize that real health care reform is critical for our
economy. Our nation is on the edge of critical changes in
health care. To accomplish this, we need continued
leadership from companies like AT&T, not efforts to
obscure the issue,” said CWA President Larry Cohen.
“If AT&T wants to follow
through with its auto industry comparison, let’s see a
comparison of imported auto costs - where in every other
country of origin there is universal health care, paid for
with broad based public funding, not through production
costs. That will give everyone a much clearer picture of the
impact of our nation’s failure - until now - to move
toward a health care system for all.
“We need national health care
reform not only for the auto industry, but for our nation.
We call on AT&T to continue its leadership and work with
us on this effort,” Cohen said.
CWA
members are working, for now, under the terms of the
contracts that expired April 4th. Locations are:
AT&T
East, Connecticut, and AT&T East Yellow Pages.
AT&T Midwest, in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
Michigan and Wisconsin, and AT&T DataCom,
AT&T Southwest, in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri,
Oklahoma and Texas.
AT&T West, in California and Nevada.
AT&T Legacy, nationwide.
