CWA Local 6132

Report from March 5, 2025

Before we get started with today’s report, we wanted to explain some of the terminology that is used in our reports and what it means:

• Passed Proposals – this means proposals were passed across the table by the drafting party (Union or Company). These are not agreements, only proposals that have been requested at the table.
• Counter Proposals – this means one party has countered an original proposal that was passed at the table by the other party (Union or Company) and requested changes to that original proposal.
• Rejected Proposals – this means that one party (Union or Company) has rejected a proposal and it is no longer currently in play at the table.
• Tentatively Agreed Proposals – this is what we strive for as it means a proposal has been mutually agreed upon by both parties and signed as a tentative agreement towards the final contract tentative agreement.

Again, these are some of the terms you will see used over the next six weeks and we wanted to give a better idea of what each term means.

Now to the real report; your elected CWA/AT&T SW Bargaining Team met face to face with AT&T Labor Relations for day #2 of our negotiations.

During the morning session, the Company completely rejected the Union’s proposals to move all titles from Appendix J to Appendix C. Additionally, they rejected all proposals that would add Appendix J employees into specific Articles in the departmental agreement and out of their supplemental agreements in Appendix J. However, the Company did mention they are fully open to having discussions on improving the supplemental agreements that are in Appendix J.

The Union was fully prepared that this would be the Company’s plan of action as they had made similar moves in other AT&T Core contracts last year that had similar job titles. The Union worked all day to finalize several proposals that would change or strengthen language in the Appendix J supplemental agreements. Late on day 2 we passed several of these proposals across the table to the Company.

The Company closed the day by passing two proposals. One proposal was concerning the number of months that the Company can require technicians to work a total of 12 hours of overtime per week. The second involved regressive language towards severance payments. These were passed as the last proposals of the day. The Union will look at these further before sending counter proposals or responses.

Tomorrow the Company has informed the Union Bargaining Committee that they intend to present their initial benefits proposal.

We are only two days into this marathon and the Company has already played their hand on keeping Appendix J employees in place. The Union was and is ready for this fight at the table. We need everyone with us in the fight.

To end this report, we want to thank our brothers and sisters from Local 6132 in Austin, Texas for meeting us the first morning we walked in to begin bargaining. Your support meant the world to us.

To stay updated on actions and mobilizations, text FIGHT to 49484. You can also fill out this quick form to get involved and receive the latest bargaining updates.

In Solidarity,
CWA/AT&T SW Bargaining Team

Click here to see all updates

Report from March 4, 2025

NOTE: The words “pass”, “passed”, and “passing”, in the context of bargaining, means the proposals are going across the table to the Company.

The CWA/AT&T SW Bargaining Team met face to face with AT&T Labor Relations for day #1 of our negotiations.

The session opened up with comments from D6 Vice President, Derrick Osobase, and AT&T/Labor Relations Vice President, Randy White. The take away from both VP’s was finding common ground, even when we have disagreements and ending with a contract we can all agree upon.

The Union passed 37 total proposals on day one! Our very first proposal was to eliminate Appendix J by moving the four titles into Appendix C. Also, the Union passed proposals to include Appendix J employees into the following Articles by including them and eliminating the supplemental corresponding agreements in Appendix J:

Article II – Classification, Article IV – Basis of Compensation, Article VI – Hours of Work, Article VII – Work Schedules, Article VIII – Holidays, Article IX – Vacations, Article X – Excused Work Days, Article XI – Absences of Duty, Article XIII – Job Vacancy, Article XIV – Promotional Pay Treatment, Article XV – Temporary Work in Higher Positions, Article XVI – Travel, Article XVII – Force Adjustment, Article XVIII – Severance Payments, and Article XXV – Contract Work. Once we fully understand the Company’s intentions to our proposals, we will be able to move forward with discussions of the four job titles that are currently in Appendix J.

Additionally, the Union passed the following proposals:
addressed inclement weather absences, adding hazard pay for disaster work, reintroducing the cost of living allowance, keeping night diff at 6pm versus it changing to 7pm per the last negotiating report in 2017, days off by seniority, eliminating the 12 hours of mandatory OT 3 months out of the year, adding additional Holidays, lowering vacation week eligibility to match Mobility contract, improvements on carry over vacation scheduling, additional paid Excused Work Days, Improvements on funeral leave, improvements on sick time, adding additional compensation for Communications Techs who are required to train others, introducing per diem based on IRS rates, improved severance payments, and protection of future work outside of traditional telephone work.The Company passed three proposals today in what they called clean up language; one to eliminate Appendix D where operators had mostly been housed and no longer exists, elimination of the Operator Services Task Force agreement (falls in line with eliminating Appendix D), and to renew the military LOA for Operation Enduring Sentinel.

As you can see, it was a very busy first day of bargaining with AT&T!

The Union bargaining team will begin tomorrow working in our own caucus to prepare for the next meeting with the Company to pass additional proposals to protect existing MOA’s and introduce a few new ones.

With that being said, we can’t get to the top of this mountain without the mobilization of our members. Please get connected with your Local on what you can do to help us win this FIGHT!

Thank you to all the Locals that sent in pictures of their members showing support in solidarity with the Bargaining team. This is the very heartbeat that will keep us going!

To stay updated on actions and mobilizations, text FIGHT to 49484. You can also fill out this quick form to get involved and receive the latest bargaining updates.

In Solidarity,

CWA/AT&T SW Bargaining Team

Click to see all updates

January 8, 2025

Local 6132 President Tony Thornburg and Secretary-Treasurer Audry Hawkes travelled to Dallas to participate in the 2025 Bargaining Caucus. We met with other Delegates of District 6 at the CWA Local 6215 Union Hall to review and determine which bargaining proposals would be presented to AT&T at the bargaining table, as well as earmarking which proposals would be critical items we would be willing strike over in order to attain.

The meeting began at 9am and lasted until 3:30pm. The delegates reviewed over fifty bargaining proposals submitted by District 6 members, as well as several MOAs. At least half of those proposals pertained to Appendix J employees, ranging from changes to contractual language in specific Supplemental Statements to simply moving them to a higher classification of employee in Appendix C. At the end of the day, not every proposal will go forward, and not all were deemed critical, but every one of those submissions were treated equally and discussed thoroughly. The bargaining committee has done a commendable job in researching and compiling those proposals to prevent inconsistencies or contradictions with other articles, sections or supplemental statements.

Bargaining is expected to begin in March of 2025.