(Reuters) – Telecoms operator AT&T (NYSE:) has submitted its final offer to the U.S. Communications Workers bargaining committee, the union said on Thursday, adding that the proposal fell short of its expectations.
The CWA union said the proposal was made Wednesday and that it made a counteroffer later in the day.
The union said this was the first time the company had presented a “comprehensive economic package.”
More than 17,000 AT&T employees, including technicians and customer service representatives, and others who install, maintain and support AT&T’s residential and business wireline telecommunications network, went on strike last month to protest unfair labor practices.
“We have submitted a strong final offer to CWA District 3 in the Southeast. We believe this offer, if accepted, will provide our employees with a competitive market-based wage that will outpace projected inflation,” AT&T Chief Operating Officer Jeff McElfresh told Reuters in a statement.
The company is also offering to increase its financial contributions to employee health care and wellness by up to 25% per year, McElfresh added.
The union on Monday informed AT&T and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service that it would no longer be part of the mediation process, calling it another “delaying tactic.”