UNI welcomes AT&T offer to buy 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.
“The sale of Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile USA to AT&T is a positive step for workers in the United States. AT&T has, like Deutsche Telekom in Germany, a very good reputation regarding the respect of workers rights, in particular regarding organizing and collective bargaining,” said Lothar Schroder, director of telecom for ver.di.
CWA said a deal with AT&T “will mean better employment security and a management record of full neutrality toward union membership and a bargaining voice.”
UNI, CWA, ver.di and the International Trade Union Confederation have been working together in a global campaign to support T-Mobile USA’s employees’ union membership and collective bargaining rights.
“This announcement is a positive development, both for the future of broadband in the US and Germany , and for the employees of T-Mobile USA in particular given AT&T’s record in respect of fundamental workers’ rights. The ITUC will continue to support UNI in its efforts for a global agreement with Deutsche Telekom,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.
Click here to read the full statement from CWA on AT&T’s bid for T Mobile USA.