LETTERS: May 20, 2009

May 19, 2009 06:23 pm

— AT&T employee takes stand against company’s greed

As employees at AT&T, we’re proud that our company is financially profitable and leading the industry. It made $12.9 billion in profits last year and more than $3 billion in the first quarter of 2009, a performance analysts called “outstanding” in this economy.
We are currently in contract negotiations with AT&T and have been working with an expired contract since April 4. The proposals made by the company have to this point been retrogressive. Our issues surround job security, health care, retirees and access to the jobs of the future.
The problem is, AT&T is crying poor and trying the use the bad economy as an excuse to cut our standard of living, by shifting even more health care costs to employees. We understand that many companies are struggling financially. We work for a company that is leading the industry and making real profits.
If working families have less in their paychecks, that’s less we’ll be able to spend in our communities. Think about what that will do to an economy already in recession.
We’re taking a stand against corporate greed and we’re asking elected officials and the public to stand with us. We want fairness from AT&T.
— Beth Dubree, president of CWA Local 4703, New Albany