T-Mobile Technicians in Connecticut Vote YES to Join CWA-TU
Hamden, Connecticut—T-Mobile USA technicians in Connecticut today voted for representation by the Communications Workers of America-TU.
Photo: T-Mobile USA workers with UNI World Telecom president Bo Larsen and CWA Organizers Tim and Cindy
The vote was 8-7 for CWA-TU representation with one challenged ballot of a union supporter who had recently transferred into the unit. The challenge will not affect the outcome.
The Connecticut technicians are the first to vote for union representation at T-Mobile USA. T-Mobile operations in Germany, owned by Deutsche Telekom, fully respect workers’ right to bargain collectively, but U.S. management historically had undertaken a campaign of delaying tactics and interference to intimidate workers. The Connecticut techs stood strong against these tactics and for a union voice.
“CWA is proud to work with these T-Mobile techs, and with T-Mobile workers in New York who want to organize and bargain for a voice on the job. They stood up for what’s right,” said CWA District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton.
CWA Local 1298 President Bill Henderson said “this vote made history, with T-Mobile workers fighting back to beat the odds and win the union voice they want. It showed the desire of people to have a union and an even playing field. Hopefully this will mean a new direction for all working people.”
Bo Larsen, World President of UNI Telecom, representing 3 million workers, who observed the election to show the continuing supporting of the global labor movement for the rights of T-Mobile USA workers for a union voice, said: “No worker should be intimidated for wanting a union voice and bargaining rights.”
Last week, UNI Global Union joined the International Trade Union Confederation (representing 175 million workers); ver.di, the union for DT workers and CWA in filing a complaint under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises against DT and T-Mobile for anti-worker activities in the United States.
Read the complaint here http://weworkbettertogether.org/oecd.
UNI Telecom World President Bo Larsen released the following statement:
"I am very proud to be here today in Connecticut with these T-Mobile USA workers who stood up against a relentless management attack on their organizing and union representation rights.
This is the first election among T-Mobile USA workers, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
In any other country, these workers would already have their union. Their right to union representation would already be recognized. But not here in the United States, where delay and harassment is “business as usual” for these corporations, even those that acknowledge workers’ rights in their home countries, as T-Mobile and parent Deutsche Telekom do. It’s in the United States where all rules are off.
That’s why the worldwide union movement is supporting the effort by T-Mobile USA workers – in Connecticut, New York, and across the country -- to gain full organizing and bargaining rights. Workers have spoken with a strong voice for their union rights. That should be sufficient. That’s the standard that T-Mobile’s parent company, Deutsche Telekom, follows in Germany.
That should be the standard here. It isn’t yet, but we will continue to support the T-Mobile USA workers in every way and against a management that refuses to recognize workers’ rights here, but wants all the kudos for doing so in Germany.
It’s a double standard that will fall. Today is a new day for T-Mobile USA workers. That’s worth celebrating.
Thank you."
We congratulate the brave technicians and welcome them to our CWA-TU family!
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