OREANDA-NEWS. August 16, 2012. AT&T* provided details of a tentative agreement AT&T Southeast (BellSouth Telecommunications) reached with the Communications Workers of America in wireline contract negotiations, reported the press-centre of AT&T.

The agreement covers more than 22,000 wireline employees in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee, and will be submitted to the CWA’s membership for a ratification vote in coming days.

Among provisions of the tentative agreements:
General wage increases in each year of the contract for most employees – 2.25 percent the first year, 2.75 percent the second year, and 3 percent the third year. 

A 1 percent pension band increase in each year of the contract to the banded pension plan enjoyed by most current employees. New hires will continue to receive the Bargained Cash Balance 2 Pension Plan, with a one-time, 1 percent pay credit increase and a generous 80 percent match in the AT&T Retirement Savings 401(k) Plan. 

Expands to additional employees a guaranteed job offer provision that promises qualified surplused employees a guaranteed job opportunity with AT&T – an employment security provision that is virtually unheard of in most of corporate America today.

Maintains one of the most robust health care plans in the nation, continuing to cover 100 percent of network preventive care, including such items as annual physicals and well-child care, with modest increases in employee contributions. For example, employees with individual coverage will pay monthly contributions of USD 38 in the first year of the contract, USD 58 the second year and USD 79 the third year of the contract. Employees with family coverage will pay monthly contributions of USD 81, USD 121, and USD 163 over the three years of the agreement.  New hires will pay higher contributions. Deductibles for network care will be USD 500 for individual coverage and USD 1,000 for family coverage in each year of the contract.

More information will be posted at http://bargaining.att.com/corewireline as it is available.

AT&T on July 21 reached tentative agreements in core wireline contract negotiations for the AT&T Midwest region and AT&T Corp. (CWA Telecommunications and Technology Office), where contracts expired on April 7. The Midwest agreement covers more than 13,000 employees in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The AT&T Corp. agreement covers about 5,700 employees located throughout the country.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.