AT&T claims its latest offer to approximately 20,000 union-represented employees in 36 states is “generous” in nature and given in good faith, with a company spokesperson recently breaking down the terms offered to the workers and providing the wireless carrier’s side of the story which has been dragging out for close to ten months now. In a lengthy statement provided to Android Headlines, AT&T described its offer as being made in good faith, claiming that all workers negotiating new terms of employment with the company will be better off than they currently are should they accept it.
The mobile service provider is hoping that the workers in question will ask their labor representatives for a chance to vote on whether to accept the “fair” offer. AT&T also dismissed the union’s claims that the offer itself was never given by the company in an official capacity, saying that the organization canceled a meeting with the firm last Monday after it was made aware of the fact that AT&T is planning to present the new terms on that occasion, to which AT&T responded by emailing its proposal. That also wasn’t the first time AT&T claims the union refused to cooperate in the negotiations, adding that the organization did the same around a month ago, failing to give any kind of response to AT&T’s previous proposal.
The Dallas, Texas-based telecom giant is quick to point out that it finalized seven similar contracts in the last ten months of bargaining with its workforce, adding that while it’s labeling its new offer as “final,” it’s still prepared to discuss its contents with the union and is hoping to receive a response from the labor organization. The offer itself covers around seven percent of AT&T’s employees and includes retroactive pay increases going back to February, lump sum payment guarantees, annual wage increases specifically benefitting retail employees, healthcare coverage, retirement benefits, and job security provisions that AT&T claims are unrivaled in the industry. The union in question — Communications Workers of America — previously signaled it’s not pleased with the offer which it believes still doesn’t adequately address AT&T’s outsourcing practices, with the situation apparently not being any closer to a resolution.