LABOR

AT&T;, Unions Open Contract Talks: American Telephone & Telegraph Co. and its two unions opened contract talks, with labor leaders saying the big fight would be over the elimination of union-protected jobs. AT&T; Board Chairman Robert E. Allen said management’s main concern was flexibility to organize its work force to stay competitive with non-unionized telecommunications companies. Morton Bahr, president of the Communications Workers of America, which represents the bulk of AT&T;’s work force, said that since a court agreement broke up AT&T; eight years ago, 133,000 union jobs have been lost. “Our goal in these negotiations is to end the layoffs and downsizing and re-establish employment security and job growth at AT&T;,” Bahr said.