Cross-Atlantic union ties could impact T-Mobile USA

The Communications Workers of America said it joined forces with Germany’s largest union, potentially giving organized labor more leverage to secure unionization of T-Mobile USA Inc.’s wireless workers.
“This is an aspect of organizing that hasn’t been done before – it’s a huge breakthrough,” said CWA President Larry Cohen. “This new union sends a message to T-Mobile management in the U.S. that workers at Deutsche Telekom and at other T-Mobile operations who have bargaining rights will fight hard to protect them and to support their U.S. counterparts who also want the right to collective bargaining.”
T-Mobile USA is the American subsidiary of Germany’s Deutsche Telekon AG, one of the largest telecom companies in the world.
CWA said T-Mobile USA has vigorously opposed workers’ efforts to seek collective bargaining rights, noting that some workers at the No. 4 mobile-phone operator have expressed interest in organizing.
CWA said the partnership with ver.di – dubbed T-Union – is the first collaboration of its kind. The new, transatlantic union has created a Web site at t-mobileunion.org, where, according to CWA, wireless workers can safely exchange information and experiences about workplace issues. In addition, a text messaging system has been set up exclusively for U.S. members, with T-Mobile USA employees now able to text TUNION to get a message about the campaign.
“We believe that through this new union, we will contribute to working conditions for workers in both countries,” said Lothar Schroder, head of ver.di’s telecom and information technology sector. “Management must get used to the idea that we are representing the interests not only of German workers but of American workers as well. This is the right response to globalization.”
CWA said ver.di represents more than 2.4 million workers, including T-Mobile workers in Germany. T-Mobile workers in the United Kingdom and nine other European countries already have collective bargaining rights.
“Along with having the nation’s most satisfied customers, annual opinion surveys completed by T-Mobile employees confirm that we also have some of the most satisfied employees in the country,” said a T-Mobile spokesperson. “In fact, T-Mobile’s high employee satisfaction rates near the top of leading U.S. companies. We have always respected and continue to respect the rights of our employees, including their right to choose a union to represent them; but their high level of job satisfaction truly reflects T-Mobile as a terrific place to work.”
Organized labor has had a tough time making inroads in U.S. mobile-phone and tech sectors. CWA represents more than 40,000 workers at AT&T Mobility, but there’s a big drop off after that.