Greetings,

Construction Preferencing Agreement Reached by Local 21 at AT&T

Our Union has been in continuous talks with AT&T management regarding the company mandated force adjustment of 200 IBEW Local 21 members working in C&E.  Our Union has been hard at work in an attempt to reach an amicable solution with AT&T to mitigate the affects AT&T's unilateral actions have had on our members.

In an effort to reduce the number of employees who were permanently forced out of their work locations the Local 21 committee working through this issue was able to get management to agree to allow members to voluntary preference into C&E.  However, we still do not agree with the actions implemented by AT&T and have already filed a third step grievance and intend to arbitrate the issue. The initial forced movement of 200 C&E members will be made permanent if there are not enough volunteers to reverse the moves initiated by AT&T management.

On Thursday October 29, 2009, a voluntary preference will be offered to C&E members working in Exhibits 2 & 3 and to all I&M employees.  These employees will be offered the opportunity to permanently change their work locations.

In C&E Exhibits 2 & 3, only moves for like positions will be allowed meaning splicer for splicer and OPT for OPT.  C&E members working in Northwest Indiana will preference however an agreement has not yet been reached on how many of those members will be released. 

Members working in all of I&M will be allowed to preference.  However only 50 technicians from Exhibit 2, and 30 from Chicago will be released.  All volunteers working in Exhibit 3 will be released.  Our Union committee has asked that no caps be placed on the number of technicians wanting to move. 

All C&E and I&M employees, will be allowed to choose from 5 work locations.  The work locations being offered in Chicago are Roscoe, Hastings, 89th & State, 6300 W. 63rd, and the new Cermak garage.

In addition, the 17 laid off Data Comm. technicians will be offered jobs in Chicago.  The term employees working in I&M will have their terms extended in I&M through the end of 2010.  Management retains the option to work complete them before that time.  If there not enough volunteers to fill the preference, they may be asked to go to Chicago C&E.  No members currently on disability, or working in First Mile or DEG will be allowed to preference.

Where appropriate, move packages would apply.  Management will "true up" and back fill those positions left vacant in Exhibit 2 C&E work locations.  This back filling of forced move positions is also part of the grievance our Union has filed. 

The preference timeline is as follows.  On Thursday October 29th, all members allowed to preference will receive preference forms.  The forms must be completed and returned to management by Monday November 2nd.

All of those who volunteered will report to their new work locations on Monday, November 9, 2009.  Members who can be released from their forced work locations because of the voluntary preference will return to their previous work locations on November 9th. 

Again, this agreement was reached in order to reduce the number of members who were forced out of their work locations.  Our Union is maintaining its original position and is moving forward with the grievance which has been filed.  We will continue talks with the company over these moves.

We have already achieved some of our goals. One was to open up more work locations in Chicago for members to move into we have gone from the original Cermak location, to the five being offered in this preference.  This preference and recall will reduce the number of members who were forced, which has been our goal from day one. 

Our Union will continue to aggressively address this issue to reduce the negative impact AT&T's actions has had on their employees.  We hope management will come to the table with same goal in mind.

If you have any questions or if problems arise on the way local management is dealing with this preference please contact your steward, chief steward, or business representative or call the IBEW Local 21 union hall at 630-960-4466.

Solidarity!