cwa at&t bargaining bulletin 20 3/29/2012

CWA D-9 AT&T West Bargaining Bulletin #20
Wednesday March 28, 2012

The Union met with the Company today for another session of Bargaining.
The Company rejected Union Proposal 6A on Increasing Time Off. The Company is “not interested” in adding more contractual time off. The Company wants employees at work.
The Union countered Company Proposal #19 on Paychecks to make additional voluntary options.
The Union rejected Company Proposal #9A Illness Absence, stating the Union does not want to see any economic loss to our members.
The Company provided responses to some of the questions the Union had regarding Company Proposal # 29 Appearance- Ban the Razor until we get a contract!
The Company is not moving on any of their retrogressive proposals. Healthcare was the one of most important issues to our members who responded to the Bargaining surveys.

The Company has not moved from their “drastic cost shifting” proposal on Healthcare. In an effort to bridge the gulf that exists between the Company and the Union on Healthcare costs, the Union has offered a package that would reduce costs by implementing Wellness Incentives. Not merely shifting costs to you, the members, which is the Company’s answer to reduce Healthcare costs! Following are some of the highlights of the Union plan, designed to lower the overall healthcare costs.

No change to existing HMO’s and their Healthcare plans. The Union proposed to change the Healthcare Network (HCN) to a “Value Based Plan”. That looks at reducing the cost of chronic illness which accounts for 84% of the cost of Healthcare. We are calling our proposal CWA-Represented Employee Health and Wellness Program (EHWP). We have proposed that the Company contribute $300 dollars into an HRA (Health Reimbursement Account), for each employee that completes three (3) Health and Wellness Tasks. The Wellness Plan calls for employees to do a Health Risk Assessment, provide contact information details and participate in at least one (1) of several defined actions, ranging from having an annual physical or blood work up and other preventative acts.

Value-Based Benefits for Chronic Conditions:
Individuals that participate in defined disease management programs and adhere to prescribed treatment plans would have their co- pays for generic prescriptions eliminated; reduce current brand co- pays by 50% when treatment is for a diagnosed chronic condition such as diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, hypertension, asthma and COPD. The facts of a “Value Based Plan” are when people with a chronic disease seek and follow treatment the overall health costs are reduced as a result of early and constant treatment. When the costs are too high for the individual, or access is too costly, the individual stops seeking help and/or taking and following their treatment plan. This creates more cost such as emergency room visits or later diagnosis and costlier treatments.

The Union has provided the Company with data and with a presentation on how “Pitney Bowes” successfully kept Healthcare costs down after implementing their “Value Based Plan”. Pitney Bowes is just one of many Companies that have found a true way of decreasing Healthcare costs rather than gutting the Healthcare plan and shifting costs to the employees.

The Company is just “not interested” in our Healthcare plan. They say Take Back, we say Fight Back! Fight Back, take a Stand. Let the Company know we are not going to settle for their crumbs!

Keep on Mobilizing! United we Bargain, Divided we Beg!

In Unity Your, Bargaining Committee

CWA D-9 AT&T West Bargaining Bulletin #20 Wednesday March 28, 2012

CWA D-9 AT&T West Bargaining Bulletin #20
Wednesday March 28, 2012