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. It focuses on debates about public policy in the United Nations, the U.S. and other governments, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and the corporate world. It has an educational function for "social justice, peace and the integrity of creation." It advocates for social, economic and environmental justice. Its mission is to facilitate the understanding and involvement of Maryknoll missioners "by clarifying the links between their experience on the ground, and systems or structures that create or perpetuate poverty, human rights violations, conflict, and environmental destruction." Click here for more information.