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No contracts for CWA; retiree health benefits in jeopardy
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CWA workers demanding health care for retirees
Listen courtesy of Pacifica Radio.
Communications Workers of America marched in downtown Los Angeles and held a rally in front of AT&T’s facility there, late April.
Contracts for AT&T workers represented by the CWA expired at the beginning of the month. And workers say AT&T wants them to give up retiree healthcare.
Local labor leaders, including Maria Elena Durazo from the LA County Federation of Labor, urged the crowd to keep up the fight for healthcare, during what all sides admit are difficult negotiations.
"Every single business and resident, everybody that you serve, if you ask them,” Durazo shouted into the microphone, “whether or not it's fair to give you what you deserve in pension, healthcare rights and wages, every single one of them would say 'hell yes'."
State Board of Equalization member Judy Chu, a political contender for a vacant seat in the California State Assembly, pledged solidarity.
"I grew up in a Pacific Bell family. And it was a great job for him [dad] to get. It was a job that allowed us to live a good middle class life. This is what an AT&T job should be about."
And AT&T agrees.
“We are a union friendly company. We have more union workers than the Big 3 auto companies combined,” says Walt Sharp.
Over the phone, the AT&T spokesman says changes in the industry have made the current negotiations more difficult.
"Businesses and individuals are cutting back even further on their landline phones. And that is the part of our company that these contracts cover.”
Contracts covering 100,000 AT&T workers expired this month and workers agreed to continue working, for now but could strike at any time.
A source inside the CWA says AT&T wants workers to give up retiree health benefits.
Several CWA districts have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, charging that AT&T has refused to provide information necessary to resolve many outstanding issues, which workers cannot take to arbitration until a new contract is signed.
Carlos Castellon is President of CWA Local 9588. He represents Verizon workers in solidarity with their fellow union members at AT&T.
"Right now tensions are very high, but as I travel throughout Southern California to the different locals in support, it is a definite positive from the members of AT&T that they are ready to walk."
AT&T made almost $13 billion in profits last year. Union leaders say with that much profit in this recession, AT&T can afford to subsidize health care.
The telecom giant says it spends $5.5 billion a year on healthcare for those 1.2 million workers, dependents and retirees.
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