CWA D3:  There will be a town hall call tonight at 8 PM ET/7 PM CT on AT&T Southeast Bargaining. Members who received a call for last week's town hall will receive a call tonight to participate. If you did not register for last week's call, you may connect once the call has begun by dialing 855-808-5159.    

FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

CWA Members Remain on Strike in Nine Southeastern States

A Statement from CWA President Claude Cummings Jr.

AT&T’s negotiators presented our bargaining committee with their 145 page so-called “final” offer yesterday at 6 pm. Prior to that, they had not formally presented a complete economic package, and we had seen nothing on health care. When they presented the proposal at the bargaining table, they stated that they were willing to continue bargaining, and we provided a counter proposal at 11 pm.

The misleading message AT&T sent to CWA members this morning about their proposal and the status of bargaining amounts to direct dealing and is more evidence of the company’s continued bad faith. This type of conduct is what led to these workers going out on strike and it does nothing more than aggravate the situation. 

The devil, as they say, is in the details.

Health care is a critical issue for our members. For weeks, the company refused to provide us with information that is necessary for us to be able to assess costs and develop our own proposals. Their failure to provide that information was part of the unfair labor practice charges that we filed last month that led to the current strike. They also reneged on an agreement to use regional instead of national costs when determining premiums, which is also one of our ULP charges.

What the company is not telling our members and the public is that their health care proposal raises the upfront cost for our members, especially those with family coverage. We have made it clear to the company from the start that raising our members’ cost share percentage is unacceptable, and the fact that they put this proposal forward shows that they have no interest in reaching an agreement. Their plan also shifts enormous prescription drug costs to employees.

Health care is not the only area in which AT&T is misleading our members and the public. Their claim about wage increases does not correspond to the facts of their proposal. For instance, under their proposal, wage increases for someone in the Wire Tech title would net out to just $4,766 over the life of a five-year contract after you consider the health care cost increases for a family plan. Wire Technicians are the face of AT&T, serving customers every day to install internet service at homes and businesses and make repairs in the event of outages. 

I have personally spoken to AT&T CEO John Stankey multiple times since the strike began. AT&T finally provided a complete proposal after I demanded that he put it on the table. I am extremely disappointed that this proposal does not meet my, or our members’, expectations. However, after weeks of waiting and the sacrifice of our members who have been on strike, holding the line for 20 days, we finally have an economic package that our bargaining committee can respond to.

CWA members have seen and personally experienced the effects of prolonged outages and wait times for service and repairs. This strike is a hardship for our members and the communities we serve. It’s time for AT&T to engage in productive bargaining where it belongs - at the bargaining table - so we can get back to work serving our customers.

September 5, 2024  

TO: AT&T SE Local Presidents District 3

FROM: Richard Honeycutt, Vice President District 3

SUBJECT: “A TA has NOT been reached”

The company bargaining report reads as if a TA has been reached, this is NOT the case. More detailed information about their update will be coming out very soon.

        August 30, 2024

TO: AT&T SE Local Presidents District 3

FROM: Richard Honeycutt, Vice President District 3

SUBJECT: AT&T ULP Strike - Healthcare Benefits

As the ULP strike against AT&T continues towards September 1st, many CWA members want to know the company’s intentions regarding their health care benefits. We have asked the company repeatedly to answer if and when they intend to cancel striking employees' healthcare benefits and provide the required COBRA notice, but did not receive a response until this afternoon.

The company's response to the question of if and when they intend to cancel healthcare benefits and provide the COBRA notice is, in their words:

“The company has not decided to discontinue healthcare benefits for employees on strike at this time."

As of this time the company has not cancelled healthcare benefits, and therefore the 60 day COBRA opt-in period has not started to run. As soon as CWA gets more information or different information, we will notify members immediately.

August 27, 2024 

TO:  AT&T SE Local Presidents, District 3 Staff, & Secretaries 

FROM:  Nicholas E.M. Hawkins, Assistant to the Vice-President 

A number of questions have arisen regarding the procedures and timelines for employees on strike who wish to elect continuing health coverage under COBRA. This is to summarize the procedures and timelines that will apply if the Company terminates coverage on or after September 1. 

COBRA requires an employer to provide notice of continuing coverage in the event of a “qualifying event”, such as discharge, death of the employee, divorce, or a “reduction in hours”.   A strike or lockout resulting in employees being out of work qualifies as a “reduction in hours” that triggers COBRA coverage. 

Once the qualifying event has occurred and the insurer or health plan administrator is notified of that qualifying event, the employer has 14 days to provide notice to affected employees of their right to elect continuing coverage. That notice will include information about the coverage, dates by which employee has to respond, and contact information for the employer or plan administrator for COBRA issues. 

Once the employee receives the notice of their right to elect continuing coverage, the employee has 60 days to elect coverage; that is, to notify the employer or plan administrator that he or she wants to continue coverage. 

Once the employee notifies the employer or plan administrator of the decision to elect continuing coverage, the employee has 45 days to pay the premiums back to the date that coverage was cut off. 

To summarize: 

* employer or plan administrator must notify employee of COBRA continuing option                   with 14 days after qualifying event”.  

* employee has 60 days from notice to elect continuing coverage, if they choose. 

* employee then has 45 days to pay premiums for the continuing coverage. The employer can charge up to 102% of the premium amount for continuing coverage. 

      August 23, 2024 

Brothers and Sisters, 

We are now one week into our unfair labor practice strike against AT&T. I am taking this opportunity to reiterate the picketing instructions that you received at the start of the strike. A copy of those instructions is attached to this e-mail. It is important that you review these instructions again and make sure that the instructions are given to any member engaged in the strike. All of the attached instructions must be followed, including but not limited to: 

1) When patrolling on sidewalks or public rights of way, no blocking pedestrian traffic 

2) When patrolling near roadways or across driveways, no blocking ingress or egress or blocking street traffic 

3) No abusive language or conduct, and no violence or threats of violence directed at any person, whether on the picket line, away from the picket line, on social media, or otherwise 

4) No trespassing on private property and no damage to vehicles or other property 

CWA expects all of us to understand and follow these instructions at all times. Any consequences resulting from failure to adhere to these instructions will not be condoned by CWA. 

In Unity, 

Nick Hawkins 

Assistant to the Vice President – District 3                       

CWA PICKETING INSTRUCTIONS 

You have agreed to perform picket duty for CWA Local 3111 in connection with CWA’s unfair labor practice strike against AT&T. You have no authority to act for CWA or CWA Local 3111 except in compliance with the following instructions. Report anybody you see deviating from these instructions to a Union official. 

1. Only persons authorized by CWA or CWA Local 3111 may speak to the media or speak publicly about the strike. Unless you are an authorized spokesperson, do not speak to the media, speak publicly or post on social media about the strike. 

2. You may only carry the picket sign authorized and given to you by a Union official. No other signs may be used at any time. 

3. You may only picket at the location to which you are directed by the Union official in charge of the picketing, and only at times authorized by the Union official. Do not picket at any other time or in any other place. 

4. Do not patrol in front of any entrance or driveway, or congregate in front of any entrance or driveway. Do not block public sidewalks. 

5. Do not interfere with persons or vehicles entering or leaving the premises. Do not block any person or vehicle entering or exiting the premises. 

6. Act in a polite and orderly manner. Avoid any confrontations or arguments. Do not threaten or engage in violence, or use abusive language, towards any persons, either at your picketing location or away from your picketing location. 

7. If you are on public property, private individuals cannot compel you to leave. If you are on private property, any effort to compel you to leave should be referred to the designated Union official. 

8. Do not follow scabs away from the picket line. 

9. Under no circumstances are any of the following allowed at your picketing location or in the vicinity: 

a. Firearms or any other type weapon, or fireworks. 

b. Alcoholic beverages, drugs, or persons noticeably under the influence. 

10. Do not trespass on Company property, do not touch or handle any company property at the picket site. If you have company property, tools or equipment in your possession, take steps to secure them and make sure they are protected from any damage. 

Next membership meeting  October 2, 2024 at 7PM

We would like to have all of our members personal email addresses and personal phone numbers. The reason being is that you do not always look at our site and there are times we get information that we would like to get to you in a timely manner.  With having your personal emails , we can send the info hot off the press.

 JUST CALL THE OFFICE AT 772 464-3111 AND GIVE IT TO US   or EMAIL US AT cwa3111@bellsouth.net

If you have moved since you have been hired, please make sure you have contacted the company.  Many times we forget to do that and then we don't get the documents that are sent out by AT&T.

By clicking this link it takes you to a Union Plus video  

https://youtu.be/VRTHP9JNJIA?si=aAeJ4w7QqEBFHD_K

https://unionplus.org

800 472-2005