NATION

NATION
Teamsters Union reachestentative five-year deal
WASHINGTON -- The Teamsters Union has reached tentative five-year agreements with major carhaul carriers. The new contract, which replaces one negotiated in 1999 that expired at midnight Saturday, features 13.4 percent wage and benefit increases over five years.
The agreements were reached Saturday. Union members had given leaders the authority to call a strike if a deal was not reached.
AT & amp;T long-distance-onlymonthly rates to increase
NEW YORK -- AT & amp;T Corp. said it is increasing its monthly rate for long-distance customers who don't also buy local service by roughly a dollar starting July 1.
AT & amp;T is blaming the government for the new charges. The extra 99 cents tacked onto each long-distance-only phone bill "will help AT & amp;T recover the following costs: interstate access charges; regulatory compliance; advocacy costs and property taxes," an advisory on customer bills reads. AT & amp;T reported no recent increases in these costs but said it can no longer absorb them.
AT & amp;T's rate increase will actually amount to $1.08 a month, when adding the 9.1 percent surcharge for the Federal Communications Commission's Universal Service Fund, which provides discounts on phone service to rural and low-income customers and other programs.
Associated Press