On Saturday December 10, the world celebrated Human Rights Day. The UN chose that day in 1950 to commemorate the proclamation and adoption on December 10, 1948, of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.

It is sobering to reflect on how far the world has come in 63 years and how much more can be done to realize the ideals of the UN Declaration.

We believe Deutsche Telekom has some work to do to celebrate December 10 with a clean conscience. We have two items to share that suggest the company’s aggressive union avoidance in the United States – at the wholly-owned subsidiary T-Mobile USA – leaves the company open to considerable risk to brand and reputation. DT appears to have inadequate protocols in place to manage or monitor the conduct of local subsidiaries consistent with its CSR commitments.

CWA: DOJ Lawsuit to Block AT&T/T-Mobile Merger is Wrong Decision for Jobs, Workers’ Rights, Broadband Buildout

Following is a statement by the Communications Workers of America on the Department of Justice announcement that it will sue to block the AT&T/T-Mobile Merger:

Washington, D.C. – The decision by the U.S. Department of Justice to seek to block the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile USA is simply wrong.  

In today’s sinking economy, where millions of Americans are looking for work, the DOJ has filed suit to block a merger that will create as many as 96,000 quality jobs.  In the U.S., where too many Americans, especially in rural areas, don’t have access to the tools of Internet technology, the DOJ is looking to block a plan to build out high speed wireless access to 97 percent of the country should be opposed.

In a nation where workers’ rights are routinely violated, as occurs everyday at T-Mobile, the DOJ apparently believes that workers should be on their own instead of having a fair choice about union representation.

Photo: kalavinka

AT&T’s announcement that it will bring back a net 5,000 quality wireless jobs to the United States following the completion of its merger with T-Mobile USA is very good news. 

Photo: NontrivialMatt

“These jobs will provide quality wages and benefits and good working conditions for U.S. workers -- exactly what's needed to help turn around our struggling economy.  Instead of sitting on more than $2 trillion in assets and sending jobs overseas while millions of Americans are out of work, working people are looking for U.S. employers to follow AT&T's lead.  If more employers took this kind of action, we could begin to move our economy forward and strengthen the middle class,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. 
 
AT&T’s commitment that the T-Mobile merger will not result in any job losses for current call center workers at AT&T Mobility or T-Mobile USA is more evidence of the kind of corporate responsibility we need here in the United States, Trumka said. 
 
CWA President Larry Cohen pointed out that “cuts in wages, benefits, and jobs have become the new normal in America, so that when a company like AT&T takes action to bring back quality jobs, it’s big news.”

CWA Local 2201 is on board with the new billboard that went up this week in Richmond, Virginia. "We Expect Better" will be appearing across the country -- on billboards, mobile billboards, bus stop signs.

The goal of this advertising campaign is to put the question directly to the company: can this German company end the double standard? Will the company stop treating American workers as second class? T-Mobile's parent company Deutsche Telekom does not interfere with workers' rights in Germany. Why the opposite behavior in the U.S.? Will T-Mobile stop the employee intimidation over freedom of association? Will the company admit that the decision to form a union belongs to the workers themselves? Management opposition in just the last weeks has been evident. Recently at another site, supervisors demanded that employees hand over leaflets they received on the public thoroughfare. Also, at still another site, managers threw away TU cards that had been left on a table in the employees' lounge.

We expect better behavior than this. This is a company that has a social charter that promises to abide by International Labor Organization standards on freedom of association and collective bargaining. Active employer opposition in the workplace to organizing violates ILO standards. When will the company fire its outside counsel Peter Conrad, Proskauer Rose, who brags about his expertise in union avoidance? When will the company stop harrassing employees who express an interest in the union? What does the company fear?

The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns recently organized a letter of concern to Deutsche Telekom from religious leaders and lay supporters from several faith-based organizations. The letter juxtaposed respect for "the right of workers to organize and form unions to act on their behalf," as stated in the Deutsche Telekom Social Charter with the reality of fear and union avoidance as exposed in the report published by Human Rights Watch in September 2010. Like others, this group has cited a key finding of Human Rights Watch: "T-Mobile USA's harsh opposition to workers' freedom of association in the United States betrays Deutsche Telekom’s purported commitment to social responsibility, impedes constructive dialogue with employee representatives, and in several cases, has violated ILO and OECD labor and human rights standards."

The letter was signed by 61 people of faith from all over the United States and ends by stating, "We hope that you will listen to customers and potential customers of your company by implementing a consistent, company-wide policy that provides genuine respect and protection for employees seeking to exercise the right to join a union."

The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns represents the Maryknoll Sisters, Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers, Maryknoll Lay Missioners and the Maryknoll Affiliates.