Network World - AT&T must meet an April 4 deadline to negotiate a new labor contract or it will run the risk of a massive labor strike, the Communication Workers of America (CWA) said this week.

During a recent vote on whether to support going on strike if the union and AT&T couldn't reach a new labor agreement, roughly 88% of the AT&T CWA members who were present voted to support the strike, the CWA said. The contract for the vast majority of AT&T employees represented by the CWA is due to expire on April 4, while the contract for CWA members working for AT&T Southeast will expire on Aug. 6. In all, the CWA represents roughly 125,000 workers at AT&T.

The major sticking point in the labor negotiations is health care; the union strongly opposes any company proposals to save money on health care by shifting more costs onto workers. AT&T so far has sought to downplay the union's strike authorization; spokesman Walt Sharp told the Associated Press that the authorization was "expected and routine at this stage of the negotiations."

The CWA and Verizon engaged in a similar dispute when they were negotiating a new labor deal last year. Verizon wanted to end its practice of fully paying for its employees' health care premiums. The two sides eventually reached a compromise that called for the company to continue fully paying the health care premiums of all active and retired employees but mandated that future employees would "have a defined contribution formula" for their post-employment health care benefits.

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AT&T faces an April 4 deadline to negotiate a new labor contract or it runs the risk of a massive labor strike

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