AT&T;, 2 Largest Unions Agree on 3-Year Contract

American Telephone and Telegraph Co. and its two biggest unions reached tentative agreement Wednesday on a three-year contract.

The agreement, reached a month after the unions’ previous contracts expired, covers more than 125,000 workers represented by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Details of the contract are to be revealed today at the offices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in Washington. The agency was called into the stalemated talks two weeks ago.

Although neither side would comment on its provisions, an AT&T; spokesman said the contract will “enhance AT&T;’s competitiveness and give employees an impressive range of wage and benefit improvements.” The contract affects only the domestic operations of AT&T;, which has 317,000 employees worldwide.

“We think it is a fair contract,” said CWA spokesman Jeff Miller, noting that it contained “innovative” provisions to help union members.

Miller said union ratification will not begin until negotiations over local issues are resolved, a process that could take a week.

The key issue going into the talks, the union maintained, was job security. It said AT&T; has eliminated more than 133,000 union jobs since the breakup of AT&T; and the regional Bell operating companies in 1984.

AT&T; officials have said that another 4,000 to 6,000 jobs will be eliminated before the end of 1993.

In addition to job security, the union had sought a wage increase of 13% over the life of the contract. AT&T; had reportedly offered 9.75%.

Although the union had authorized a strike if the contract talks stalled, no strike was called.