Blog

AT&T SW – Make the Most of Your Negotiated Benefits

As inflation continues to impact household budgets, it is more important than ever to make the most of every available benefit. District 6 Leadership encourages all members to review and take advantage of the benefits and programs secured through negotiations.

With Annual Enrollment only a few months away, employees should begin reviewing their current medical coverage and benefit elections. To help members make informed decisions, we will provide monthly updates through the end of Annual Enrollment that can be shared during Membership and Steward meetings. These communications will highlight available benefits, resources, and opportunities throughout the enrollment period.

Members participating in the Company’s Wellbeing Program still have time to complete eligible activities and earn incentives. Preventive screenings must be completed by September 16 to allow time for processing, and all wellbeing activities must be completed and logged by December 16 to count toward the current year’s incentives. Additional information can be found in the Company’s Wellbeing Incentive Bargained Program Job Aid.

For questions regarding a denied or missing Wellbeing claim, members should contact the Benefits Center. Representatives can explain why a claim was denied or identify any missing information. The Benefits Center can be reached at 877-722-0020 or through a help request under “Your Help Requests” in the “Quick Links” section of the Benefits Center homepage.

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Advanced Canva Training

Interested in using Canva like a graphic designer? Please join our CWA Advanced Canva and Graphic Design Training for design tips and tricks, branding, and an interactive demonstration. The training will be held on July 21 at 1pm ET.

Get more details and RSVP here.

Whether you participated in the Canva 101 training or not, this training has a lot to offer. Please share the RSVP link with other CWAers who may be interested.

See you there!

On July 10, CWA District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase announced an agreement with AT&T to bring back Trenching and Boring work. These jobs have not been done by CWA members in the District since the late 1980s.

In a message to the CWA Executive Board, Osobase stated, “AT&T will begin hiring for the positions, starting in the major metropolitan areas in Texas where fiber exists. This will create 100 new jobs by the end of 2027 in Texas alone and will expand to the rest of the District as the company continues its investment into fiber.”

This win is part of a larger strategy for CWA, which includes bringing back contracted work previously lost, re-regulating the telecommunications industry, and expanding and capitalizing on organizing opportunities to build leverage for even greater successes in the future.

This agreement comes on the heels of another successful campaign to bring back decommission work, which resulted in the creation of the Buried Service Wire Specialist title. Holders of this new title will handle the trenching and boring work.

Congratulations to the telecom workers of CWA District 6!

Last week, CWA members at unWired Broadband (CWA Local 9333) announced that they had reached a settlement with the company, resolving several unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). These charges were the result of the disciplining and termination of several workers at the Fresno-based internet service provider.

The settlement will deliver $75,000 in back pay to four affected members, signaling the latest milestone in a campaign that has seen unWired technicians standing together amid a brutal anti-union attack by the company. Tactics used by the company include captive-audience meetings, anti-union messaging from management, and the illegal firing of workers on the organizing committee.

“unWired technicians stood together through a tough organizing campaign, and this settlement delivers meaningful relief to the workers who were affected,” said CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce. “CWA is proud to stand with them, and we expect unWired to come to the table and negotiate the strong first contract these workers have earned.”

In June 2025, unWired Broadband technicians voted overwhelmingly in favor of union representation by CWA to improve workplace safety, address unjust firings, and secure a voice on the job.

Last week, members of IUE-CWA Local 83600 in Louisville, Ky., voted overwhelmingly to ratify a first contract with New Flyer-NFI Parts. Members in this right-to-work-for-less state manufacture parts for buses, motorcoaches, and transit shuttles. The five-year contract builds on the recent gains won via the New Flyer National Agreement, securing wage increases, stronger benefits, and enhanced workplace protections.

Key highlights of the agreement include up to 47.52% wage increases over the life of the contract, guardrails against unexpected healthcare premium hikes, 100% company-paid dental and vision insurance, new just-cause protections, the introduction of paid maternity leave, and much more.

The path was not easy, however. Local management routinely provided incorrect information to decision-makers at the table, downplaying or denying issues with overtime, wages, and safety. The company also began installing surveillance equipment and issuing write-ups for attendance and overtime worked on Saturdays.

To combat these anti-union tactics, members signed a petition declaring their support for a living wage and took group photos wearing their union paraphernalia. The bargaining team recorded videos to keep members informed, and four members also recorded personal testimonials on why workers deserve wages comparable to those of their colleagues at the nearby KMG facility.

Congratulations to our New Flyer-Louisville members on a job well done!