Communications Workers of America Local 940

Welcome to CWA Local 9410

CWA District 9 Members Ratify AT&T West Contract

Sacramento, Calif. September 2, 2009-- Members of the Communications Workers of America at AT&T West have ratified a new three-year agreement by an overwhelming 3 to 1 margin.

The settlement covers about 22,000 CWA-represented workers who work in California, Nevada and Hawaii, CWA's District 9, at AT&T West. Negotiations are continuing for new contracts covering about 65,000 CWA-represented workers in other AT&T regions. They include East (CWA Local 1298), Southeast (CWA District 3) and Southwest (District 6).

"This agreement achieves members' key goals: it maintains our members' standard of living, safeguards quality health care for workers and retirees, and enhances employment security," said CWA District 9 Vice President Jim Weitkamp. "Considering we are in the worst recession in history, this agreement reflects real gains and positive accomplishments for workers," he said.

The settlement increases pay by about 9 percent over the contract term, including cost of living adjustments, and provides pension band increases of 2 percent in each year of the agreement, also with cost of living adjustments.

The health care plan provides for fully funded preventive care and company-funded health reimbursement accounts that can be used toward any eligible health care expense, and a majority of workers won't see any cost changes at all in their health care coverage. The new agreement also includes new transfer rights for workers and provides additional employment security improvements. Improvements for prem techs include wage increases, employment security gains and new work rule protections.

CWA members at AT&T Midwest, CWA District 4, ratified a new contract on Aug. 7; CWA's Communications and Technology bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with AT&T covering about 8,000 Legacy T workers on Aug. 27.

CWA District 9/AT&T West Bargaining Bulletin #78 8/10/2009

Your Bargaining Committee is grateful for your support. A tentative agreement has been reached.
Here are some of the highlights of the agreement:

Wages - 3%, 3%, 2.75% plus cola in 3rd yr retroactive to April 5, 2009
Pension - 2%, 2%, 2% plus cola in 3rd year
Health Care
Monthly Premium - $35 single/$75 family
Preventative - no deductible, no coinsurance
Deductible - $350/$700
Co-insurance - 10%/40% (Out of Network)
Out of Pocket Maximum - $1,000/$3,000
                                   $3,000/$6,000 (Out of Network)
No Co-pays
Create New Tax-Free Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA)
  Active Employees will get:
     $450 single/$900 family Year 1
     $300 single/$600 family Year 2
      0/0 Year 3
Kaiser plan guaranteed no change for life of contract
Prescription Coverage
Co-pays - 10/20/40 twice co-pay for 3 month supply mail order
Co-pays non-network - 75%
Separate OOP max $900/$1,800
90 day prescriptions available at CVS Pharmacies at mail order prices
Team Award Replaced with SSP (Success Sharing Plan)
a) Dividend x 150 in year 3 only, year 1 and 2 amounts pay for current retiree HRA b) Appreciation in stock price, year over year x 150
$1500 to all active employees on ratification date who would have been eligible for 2008 TPA
Current Retirees - Establish Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA)
  $850 single/$1700 family Year 1
  $150 single/$300 family Year 2
Multiple health plan options for pre and post 65 retirees with an option for no premium payments
401(k) - Catch-up and Roth provision added
Relief differential and per diem - $2 increase for each
National Transfer Plan
Employment Security Plan - Extended and expanded
Premises Technician - Converted to regular employees, $0.45/hr at every step plus General Wage increase retroactive to April 5, Pension and 401(k), access to Horizons, equitable distribution of overtime, clear definition of Scope of work, resolution process for future changes.
New Leveraged title with protections for existing Service Reps
Term employees have access to AUTS and Horizons
ERB Retained

IN UNITY,
Lupe Mercado
Bill Demers
Pam Suniga
Art Gonzalez
Tom Runnion
William B. Harvey

1 Union 1 Fight 1 Future