The UNI Global Union and the US Communication Workers of America each released statement yesterday welcoming the proposed AT&T purchase of T Mobile USA. Most news reports did not mention the impact on workers, a major angle of the story. Below are portions of the CWA and UNI statements.
CWA (Communication Workers of America) statement by President Larry Cohen:
Today’s announcement of the acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T is a victory for broadband proponents in both the U.S. and Germany. For the U.S., it means that T-Mobile customers will get quick access to the AT&T network, soon to include LTE or data speeds of at least 10 megabits down stream. More important, as part of the deal, AT&T is committing to build out to nearly every part of the U.S. within six years. Both AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM technology so there will be the immediate benefit of shared spectrum. Other reported deals involving T-Mobile would have joined incompatible networks; not only would that have forced a rebuild but would have required new phones for T- Mobile customers.
In Germany, the cash deal will provide investment in parent Deutsche Telekom’s own fiber network, particularly important for DT’s principal owner, the German government.
CWA and ver.di, the largest union in Germany, have partnered to support T-Mobile workers in the U.S., and the global union movement has been a strong supporter of this effort. CWA and ver.di formed a joint union – TU – that represents T-Mobile workers on both sides of the Atlantic. Hundreds of TU members in the U.S. will welcome this news since of all the possible partners, AT&T will mean better employment security and a management record of full neutrality toward union membership and a bargaining voice. For T-Mobile USA workers who want a voice in their workplace, this acquisition can provide a fresh start with T-Mobile management. Some 42,000 AT&T mobility employees are union represented.
UNI Global Union today welcomed a deal for US-based telecommunications company AT&T to buy Deutsche Telekom’s US mobile phone business T Mobile USA.
“We welcome this deal, which would give T Mobile USA employees an employer who has long-standing relations with our affiliate the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and already has 42,000 union members in its workforce,” said UNI Global Union General Secretary Philip Jennings. “We will continue our global union efforts for Deutsche Telekom to sign a Global Agreement with UNI to ensure all its workers around the world have the right to join a union and bargain collectively.”
UNI has been pressing Deutsche Telekom to sign a Global Agreement to protect trade union rights for all of its workers around the world, including the United States.
“The sale of T-Mobile USA does not change our position that Deutsche Telekom should sign a global agreement with UNI like its European counterparts France Telecom and Telefonica,” Jennings said.
UNI’s US affiliate the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and German affiliate ver.di also welcomed the deal as a win for T Mobile USA workers and a key step in the development of broadband networks in the US and Germany.
Filed under: Global organizing, Organizing Tagged: | ATT, CWA, Tmobile, UNI
