Blumenthal Meets With T-Mobile Technicians, Sees "Clear Majority Support" For Unionization

http://www.cwa-union.org/news/entry/blumenthal_meets_with_tmobile_technicians_sees_support

Jul 9, 2011

Releases Letter to Company Urging Respect for Workers' Right to Decide on Unionization

HAMDEN, CT—United States Senator Richard Blumenthal met today with several of the 15 Connecticut T-Mobile technicians and with representatives of the Communications Workers of America, and said he believes that there is "clear majority support" among the techs for representation by the T-Mobile workers' division of the CWA, CWA-TU.

Senator Blumenthal also released a letter to Rene Obermann, the CEO of T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, urging it to respect the rights of T-Mobile technicians to make a decision about whether or not to unionize in an open, free and fair environment. Click here to view the letter.

“The right of workers to unionize is guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act and is critical to a healthy workforce. Employees who wish to collectively bargain through a union should be able to do so without fear of discrimination or reprisal. I expect that T-Mobile management will cease all intimidation tactics and allow these 15 technicians and all Connecticut T-Mobile employees to have the uninhibited opportunity to vote on union representation,” the Senator said in his letter, which was also copied to the President and CEO of T-Mobile, USA, Philipp Humm.

Senator Blumenthal also admonished Deutsche Telekom for its double standard regarding workers rights—a policy of cooperation and respect that it pursues in Germany and across Europe, contrasted with aggressive anti-union behavior at its U.S. subsidiary.

“This behavior is inconsistent with the high regard for the right of free association that Deutsche Telekom practices across Europe,” he wrote to CEO Obermann.

This March, parent company Deutsche Telekom announced plans to sell T-Mobile to AT&T. T-Mobile techs in upstate New York and Long Island have also embarked on unionization organizing efforts to ensure that their voices are heard.

Tim Dubnau, Regional Organizing Coordinator for CWA, stated, “T-Mobile must respect the rights of workers to join the union and stop trying to delay NLRB elections with frivolous legal maneuvering. At AT&T, the unionized wireless workforce has contributed to the company’s growth and success, and we are confident that we can do the same at T-Mobile.”