Unions to coordinate 1989 bargaining with AT&T - Developments in Industrial Relations

Monthly Labor Review, March, 1988 by George Ruben

Unions to coordinate 1989 bargaining with AT&T

The first move toward the 1989 round of bargaining in telephone communications occurred when the Communicatons Workers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers agreed to coordinate their national bargaining with American Telephone and Telegraph Co. (AT&T). Under the new approach, the unions will hold joint meetings to formulate their bargaining goals, which presumably will result in more-or-less identical contract terms for the 155,000 employees represented by the Communications Workers, and the 41,000 represented by the Electrical Workers.

The move toward common bargaining would contrast with that in 1986 when the Electrical Workers settled peacefully with AT&T, but the Communications Workers' settlement was preceded by a work stoppage. Contract terms were, however, similar for both units.