Union members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have voted to ratify a three-year labor contract with the telecommunications company.

The new IBEW 3-year agreement will remain in effect until June 23, 2012.

AT&T said the contract covers thousands of wireline employees across the company. The majority — roughly more than 8,000 — who work in Illinois and northwestern Indiana.

With this new contract receiving a “yes” vote among union membership at IBEW, AT&T said it has now been able to ratify employment contracts with nearly half of the 120,000 employees covered under union agreements.

There is still a contract ratification vote being conducted by the Legacy T group and there are still on going contract negotiations between AT&T and District 6 (SBC), District 3 (Bell South) and District 1 (SNET).