AT&T Reaches Tentative Deal with Wireline Staff

AT&T Inc. (T) has reached a tentative three-year contract agreement with more than 17,000 unionized wireline staff in California and Nevada.

The agreement AT&T West reached with the Communications Workers of America District 9 will be submitted to union members for a ratification vote in coming days.

It includes general wage increases and a 1% pension band increase in each year of the contract for most employees. The deal expands to additional employees a guaranteed job opportunity provision and includes higher contributions to the health-care plan.

The deal would be effective as of April 8, 2012.

AT&T employees represented by the CWA have ratified four other contracts covering more than 80,000 staff since last August.

CWA is the telecom industry's largest union.

Shares rose 30 cents, to $35.49 in recent trading. The stock is up 17% over the past 12 months.

Write to Debbie Cai at debbie.cai@dowjones.com

Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
  02-26-131435ET
  Copyright (c) 2013 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.