Questions & Answers on DTV Agreements
Union Contract and Ratification
Q. Why should I vote YES?
A. Voting yes ratifies this contract. A ratified contract secures guaranteed benefits, job protections and wage
increases. The contract gives DIRECTV/ AT&T workers legally binding language to provide job security,
protection from unfair discipline and representation on the job, rights which employees without a contract do
not have. Ratification means that AT&T can no longer make unilateral changes to what is in the contract.
Q. How does having a contract help us?
A. A contract gives us guarantees. If we don’t have a contract, we have no guarantees. Without a contract the
uncertainty we have experienced since AT&T bought DIRECTV can and will likely continue. Our bargaining
committee fought hard to address all issues at the table. While we were not able to keep everything we had
at DIRECTV, we now work for AT&T and we believe that it is imperative for our group to get into a contract.
Q. If the majority votes no, what happens next?
A. A no vote is a rejection of the terms of this tentative agreement and an authorization to strike. If we vote
down the contract, we face continued uncertainty and possibly more changes to our working conditions while
our bargaining committee goes back to the table to negotiate again with AT&T. In going back to the table,
there is no guarantee that we could get a better agreement than this one. We might go longer without raises
and/ or be in the more expensive management health care for longer. We would also not have the benefit of
the job security and grievance/ arbitration provisions in the contract until we ratified an agreement.
Q. After the contract is ratified, what is the amount of the union dues? When will they go into effect?
A. Union dues are 2.25 hours of your base wages per month. If you make $16 per hour, dues are $36 a month.
Dues will go into effect at the same time the contract goes into effect (Feb. 5th) or in a pay period thereafter.
Scheduling
Q. I heard there would be accommodations for my school schedule next semester. Is that true?
A. Yes, once we ratify the contract. The bargaining team secured a one-time school schedule accommodation
for the semester starting Jan. 2017, as many people have already enrolled and paid for classes. With a
contract, if management fails to provide accommodation, with a contract we can file a grievance to address it.
Q. The contract talks about the Working Relations Committee. What is that?
A. The Working Relations Committee is a contractually required committee made up of CWA members and
AT&T Management personnel who meet periodically to talk about issues and resolve problems in the
worksite. The WRC addresses issues such as schedules, shift bidding, inclement weather policy, and more.
Q. What is “Exchange Time”?
A. Exchange Time is a contractually guaranteed benefit which allows an employee to request time off during a
scheduled workday to be made up within the workweek (Sunday through Saturday), subject to business
needs. If an employee believes they were wrongly or inappropriately denied Exchange Time, they can pursue
the issue through the contract’s grievance procedure.
Justice on the job
Q. What does ‘Just Cause’ mean?
A. ‘Just Cause’ is an important part of the negotiated grievance procedure. ‘Just Cause’ means that AT&T
disciplinary actions must be fair and reasonable. It provides important protections against arbitrary or unfair
termination and other forms of inappropriate workplace discipline. Just cause, as a standard for discipline,
protects job security.
Q. What does the grievance procedure in the contract mean?
A. The negotiated grievance procedure is a three step formal process for addressing workplace issues such as
unfair policies or wrongful discipline. Workers have the benefit of union representation through this process.
The union can file a grievance against an unfair discipline, wrongful termination or any other violation of the
contract.
Q. What is arbitration and how will it affect me?
The arbitration process gives strength and meaning to the grievance procedure – and helps uphold the
language in the contract. Arbitration takes the grievance issue outside the AT&T management chain and uses
a third-party neutral arbitrator to decide the issue at question. Together, the grievance and arbitration process
help insure fair treatment, provide job security and serve to improve working conditions for all workers – even
those who never have disciplinary issues. Many arbitrations are on questions of contract interpretation. For
example, CWA is currently arbitrating cases on the attendance policy, paid sick leave, and more.
Q. Will I have the right to union representation if disciplined?
A. Yes, once we ratify the contract. The contract states: “At any meeting between a representative of the
Company and an employee in which discipline (including warnings which are to be recorded as such in the
personnel file, suspension, demotion, or discharge) is to be announced, a Union representative may be
present if the employee so requests. Time spent in such a meeting shall be considered work time.
Wages and Compensation
Q. Will POCs receive the 10% acting-as-manager relief differential?
A. Yes, for the hours in which you are doing those extra duties. The “Basis of Compensation” article of the
contract reads: “Relief differential consisting of ten (10) percent of the employee's basic hourly wage rate will
be paid to any employee who is assigned to relieve or assist a manager, for each hour, or fraction thereof, the
employee performs this work or receives associated training.”
Q. What will happen to our monthly bonuses under this new contract?
A. AT&T pays incentives and bonus in addition to normal wages. The AT&T Mobility contracts do not cover
these programs and AT&T has the ability to make changes over time, as DIRECTV did. We have 45,000 AT&T
workers in the Black, Orange and Purple contracts that similarly rely on bonuses as an important part of their
income. Consequently we will all work to ensure AT&T continues to provide bonus and incentive programs.
Q. When will we start progressing in pay steps and what are the dates?
A. On February 5, 2017 all DIRECTV members will be placed in the wage table for their new AT&T Mobility job
title. Starting at that point members will move to the next pay step every 6 months.
Q. Can I receive a 10% relief differential for being POC plus a 10% Sunday premium pay at the same time?
A. Yes, you would receive relief differential plus Sunday premium pay.
Q. How do I read the pay scales?
A. The wage tables in the AT&T Mobility contract shows weekly wage rates (for a full-time employee) based on
(1) service and (2) the calendar year over the course of the contract. Here’s an example from the “Purple”
contract where an employee is entering the Client Services Specialist job title at the Tulsa, OK call center.
1. On February 5, 2017, the member placed at wage step 7 under the first wage table. This is the closest
step equal to or greater than their current salary. They will be making $619.50 a week in base wages.
2. On February 26, 2017, they move to the new wage table that’s become effective. They’re now making
$626.50 a week.
3. On August 5, 2017, they move up to wage step 8 as they’ve completed the required 6 months. They’re
now making $650 a week. The member will continue moving down and to the right on the scale until
they reach “top of scale” at step 13.
Q. If my current wage is higher than the top of the wage scale in this agreement, will I get a raise?
A. For DIRECTV members who are making more than the highest pay step for their new job title, you will
receive annual wage increase as lump sum bonus payments instead of as an increase to your wage. For
example, instead of receiving a 3% increase in your hourly base wage you’ll receive a one-time payment equal
to 3% of your annual wage. Each year you will receive the lump sum payment until the scale catches up to you.
Q. When will the $500 ratification bonus be paid?
A. Our agreement states that this payment will be made “as soon as practicable” after successful ratification
and the contract goes into effect (Feb. 5th). This language is standard and gives AT&T time to process these
payments in their payroll system. In the past these payments happen within a few weeks of ratification.
Q. Will we still be eligible for Rewards programs – such as for selling Showtime subscriptions?
A. AT&T runs rewards programs for our call center members. These programs are not covered by the contract
and AT&T has the ability to modify the incentive programs as they and DIRECTV have done in the past.
Q. What is the pay differential for the afternoon shift?
A. Our AT&T Mobility contracts pay shift differentials for hours worked between 8pm and 6am. Afternoon
hour are paid at base wage rates. We fought at the bargaining table to preserve the $1.50 an hour after noon
and the Saturday differential. AT&T was not willing to preserve those differentials; they do not pay that in any
of their units and are eliminating it for all employees as of December 25th payroll, regardless of the outcome of
our ratification vote.
National Transfer Plan (NTP)
Q. The Memorandum of Agreement refers to DTV workers being able to access the NTP. What is the NTP?
A. The National Transfer Plan (NTP) allows CWA represented DIRECTV employees to have priority placement in
other jobs in AT&T anywhere in the country. The NTP is a powerful contractual tool for those interested in
transferring to other parts of country or company. CWA fought for and won the right to extend transfer rights
across different CWA contracts with AT&T, which resulted in the creation of the National Transfer Plan.
DIRECTV Free Services
Q. Will we still receive free DIRECTV service under the Premier package?
A. AT&T Mobility does currently and will continue to provide employee discounts for AT&T services, including
DIRECTV. Although we worked to preserve the Premier package for employees, we were not able to get
specific language to protect the Premier package in the contract.
Health Benefits
Q. If we're switching health care plans in June, will amounts I pay before June be counted to my annual
deductible and out-of-pocket maximum after the switch?
A. Yes. Any amount you pay out-of-pocket for medical services will be rolled over into the new plan and count
towards reaching your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum.
Q. Will Kaiser HMO plan be an option for our medical benefits under this agreement?
A. The bargained benefit options do not include a Kaiser HMO option.
Q. Do you have to enroll in the medical, dental and vision plans? Can you opt out of one or all?
A. At AT&T, employees are able to opt-out from participating in any benefit plan.
Q. Under this agreement, when would the bargained health care plan go into effect? How does it differ from
the plan management plan AT&T was imposing?
A. AT&T began implementing the non-bargaining “management plans” (Gold, Silver, Bronze) while DIRECTV
employees were organizing for union protection and held an open enrollment for DIRECTV members to join
those plans before they began bargaining with your representatives. Under this agreement DIRECTV members
will be in those management plans until June 1, 2017. At this point they will be given access to the AT&T
Mobility plans CWA members have been bargaining for over 15 years. There is a link to bargained for plan at
directvunity.org under “Details on the Tentative Agreements.”
The table below compares basic management and union health care plan provisions for 2017. CWA plans
provide better coverage for a lower cost compared to the management plans.
Single / (+Sp) /
(+Ch) / Family
AT&T Management Plans
AT&T Mobility Plans (CWA)
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Option 1
Option 2
Monthly
Contributions
$132 / $424 /
$191 / $424
$35 / $147 /
$59 / $160
$25 / $50 /
$25 / $50
$89 / $245 /
$153 / $260
$32 / $88 /
$55 / $93
Health
Account Funds
$0
$0
$500 /
$1,000
$0
$0
$1,300 /
$2,600
$1,500 /
$3,000
$2,500 /
$5,000
$500 /
$1,000
$1,300 /
$2,600
10%
20%
30%
10%
10%
$4,000 /
$8,000
$6,550 /
$13,100
$6,000 /
$12,000
$2,500 /
$5,000
$6,450 /
$12,900
Deductible
Coinsurance
Out-of-Pocket
Maximum
Q. Under the new agreement, the health care plan provisions (contributions, deductible, etc) change every
year. Why does the plan change so much over the contract?
A. Health care costs for every company, including AT&T, increase every year. For employees without a
contract, changes for the new plan year are announced by the company in the summer or fall before the new
plan goes into effect on January 1. When CWA members bargain their contracts with AT&T, they bargain to
lock in predictable changes to their benefits in order to plan for the future.
Q. Can you provide a comparison of the bargained health care plan and our current DTV health care plans?
A. The following table provides basic plan elements for the 2016 DIRECTV health care plans and the negotiated
2017 AT&T Mobility Plans under this agreement. The 2016 plan is being replaced Jan 1st.
DIRECTV Plans (2016)
AT&T Mobility Plans (2017)
Single / (+Sp) /
(+Ch) / Family
Choice
Consumer w/
HRA
Option 1
Option 2
Monthly
Contributions
$73 / $205 /
$164 / $280
$46 / $116 /
$95 / $158
$89 / $245 /
$153 / $260
$32 / $88 /
$55 / $93
$0
$500 / $1,000
$0
$0
$750 / $2,250
$1,500 / $3,000
$500 / $1,000
$1,300 / $2,600
20%
20%
10%
10%
$6,850 / $13,700
$6,550 / $13,100
$2,500 / $5,000
$6,450 / $12,900
Health Account
Funds
Deductible
Coinsurance
Out-of-Pocket
Maximum
Q. What are the benefits for FMLA employees and how does it work?
A. The Family and Medical Leave Act requires large employers to provide up to 12 weeks unpaid leave for
serious medical conditions, the birth of a child, or to care for an immediate family member. AT&T provides
FMLA leave as required by this law. In addition, AT&T provides a Short and Long-term Disability plans for free
to members under this agreement. These plans will pay a portion of your wage for periods of medical leave.
• Short-term: Up to 26 weeks at 60% - 100% of wage based on years of service.
• Long-term: Up to 24 months at 50% of wage
Paid Time Off
Q. How does the Paid Time Off in this contract compare to what I’m receiving now?
A. You will likely receive more total paid time off, depending on your service. The below chart shows PTO time
offered by DIRECTV now and under this agreement. Under the agreement, you will get Paid Vacation + Paid
Illness time + plus four days Excused With Pay (EWP) time + two extra paid holidays (from 8 days to 10).
DIRECTV
AT&T Mobility (CWA)
All PTO Time (Vacation, Illness, Other)
Service of <1yr: 2 wks
1-4yrs: 3 wks
5-15yrs: 4 wks
16yrs: 4 wks & 1 day
17yrs: 4 wks & 2 days
18yrs: 4 wks & 3 days
19yrs: 4 wks & 4 days
20+yrs: 5 wks
Vacation
Service of 6 – 11mos: 1 week
1 – 4yrs: 2 weeks
5 – 9yrs: 3 weeks
10 – 19yrs: 4 weeks
20 + yrs: 5 weeks
Illness
10 days
(Exception: There is no limit in Purple
contract)
Excused With Pay
4 days
Floating Holidays (Chosen by the Employee)
2 days
Q. Can you explain the EWP four day benefit?
A. Excused With Pay is another form of paid time off – in addition to vacation and illness leave -- which can be
taken in one hour increments. All employees with more than one year service will get 4 EWP days per year,
which can be carried over to March of the next year. See the Excused Days with Pay article in your contract.
Q. Will we get separate bereavement time or will I need to use vacation time?
A. The AT&T Mobility contracts provide additional paid time off in the event of a death in the family. This is
typically 3 - 8 days depending on the relationship to the deceased. See Article 21, Section 5 of your applicable
contract for more details.
Q. If I’ve earned additional vacation time based on my years of service, will it be available starting on my
anniversary date or beginning of the new calendar year?
A. You will be able to schedule the additional vacation time you’ve earned at the beginning of the calendar in
which you’ll reach the required years of service. Say, for example, your 5 year anniversary is August 30, 2017.
In January of 2017 (8 months before your anniversary), you will be granted three weeks of vacation.