PRESS RELEASE

Communications Workers of America District 4
(Covering Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin)
Contact: Linda Hinton (440) 333-6363

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2009
Workers at AT&T Midwest, Five Other AT&T Companies
Authorize Strike by a Wide Majority, Pacts Expire Early April

CLEVELAND—Members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin have voted by a wide majority to authorize a strike against AT&T if current contract talks fail to produce an acceptable agreement. The parties have been in bargaining since early this year to renew agreements with six AT&T companies nationwide. Approximately 20,000 of the 125,000 covered workers are in the five-Midwest states comprising CWA's 4th District. Most of those workers are employed by AT&T Midwest (formerly Ameritech).

"AT&T employees in the Midwest have played a large part in helping AT&T be a successful company, even in these tough times. AT&T can afford to do the right thing and work with their employees to solve problems like health care, rather than try to shift the problem from them to us. AT&T can do the right thing for America too, by assuring that middle class jobs are maintained in communities throughout the Midwest," declared District 4 Vice President Seth Rosen. He pointed out that executives and stockholders have shared in the current prosperity, "but to date, the workers have been left out."

Despite the downturn of the U.S. economy, AT&T's profits have been healthy. Last year, the company reported $12.9 billion in profits and AT&T executives predict continued healthy growth in the current year.

Negotiations are taking place at separate tables for the six agreements, five of which expire on April 4th: AT&T East (formerly SNET), AT&T Southeast (formerly Bell South), AT&T Midwest, AT&T West (formerly PacBell) in Pleasanton, CA, and AT&T Legacy, a nationwide unit. The agreement for AT&T Southeast expires on August 6.

Overall, 88 percent of AT&T members voted in favor of strike authorization in balloting conducted by individual CWA local unions whose members are covered by six separate contracts. A strike by any or all of the AT&T operations would not take place unless the union's executive board authorizes that action and sets a strike date.

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