
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 29, 1995                   TAG: 9505300110
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: HOLIDAY 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                 LENGTH: Medium

AT&T AND UNIONS CONTINUE TO TALK

Negotiators for AT&T Corp. and two of its largest unions continued contract talks Sunday, still seeking resolution of wage, pension and health care issues.

Both sides had hoped for a quick resolution after the unions agreed to keep talking past a midnight strike deadline.

But the unions later said they weren't entirely satisfied with progress overnight on proposals to shift health care costs to some retirees, and other issues also remained unresolved.

``Whatever optimism there was to be able to really drive toward a settlement reasonably quickly has been tempered,'' said Jeffrey Miller, spokesman for the Communication Workers of America.

However, there was no talk of a new strike deadline.

``We believe genuine progress in these negotiations is being made,'' said Herb Linnen, spokesman for AT&T. ``The negotiators are resolute and resourceful, trying to resolve the issues that remain.''

AT&T is the nation's largest long-distance telephone company. CWA represents about 90,000 of its workers; the other union involved in the talks, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, represents 20,000.

Average wages range from $435 a week for account representatives to $807 a week for equipment installers, according to Linnen.

Union members provide long-distance assistance, repair and install business equipment, manufacture AT&T products, and perform other support functions.

Negotiations began April 3. At issue are wages, pensions, employment security, union access to jobs outside union purview and the shifting of some retirees' health care costs.

The company is prepared to use managers as telephone operators to continue its service in the event of a strike. Management would also step in at AT&T's manufacturing plants in 17 states.

Negotiators talked until about 3 a.m. Sunday, then came back for a late-morning session that lasted until about 1:30 p.m. They returned to the table at 4:30 p.m. for what was predicted to be a ``very demanding night'' of talks.

by CNB