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AT&T
Bargaining Update May 28, 2002 More than 90 percent of IBEW members endorsed the tentative national agreement with AT&T negotiated after five weeks of talks. Voting by members in the 10 locals representing AT&T workers concluded on Friday. That 93 percent of the members voted for the 18-month contract showed the membership appreciated the work of the bargaining team. "When you get that high a percentage, you know you did something right," said Bob Morrison, Local 2222, who was the lead IBEW negotiator representing approximately 1,000 members employed by AT&T. CWA, which participated in talks with IBEW, approved the contract on May 17. The agreement, which is effective retroactive to May 12, replaces the three-year contract that was set to expire this month. Morrison said members will see their 2 percent wage increases in their May 31 paychecks and a one-time $250 signing bonus will be disbursed to members on June 14. Under the new contract, members will receive another 2 percent wage increase on November 10, 2002 and 2 percent on May 11, 2003. The contract expires in November 2003. Carrying over many provisions in the last contract between the unions and AT&T, the short-term pact gives members strong footing in this uncertain economy, negotiators said. Throughout the bargaining, union negotiators worked hard to ward off retrogressive proposals offered by the company that would have had a negative impact on the pension and health care of active and retired employees. The agreement protects all of the current and retired health and welfare benefits. It provides for pension increases of 8 percent in the defined benefit plan and 8 percent in the cash balance credit table with an interest rate of 5.5 percent effective July 1, 2002. Workers who retire prior to that date will get the increase effective on the first of July.
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