T-Mobile Shareholders To Vote On Human Rights Risk Assessment Proposal

At the June 5 annual meeting of T-Mobile U.S. Inc. (NYSE: TMUS), stockholders are voting on a proposal urging the T-Mobile Board of Directors to disclose how it assesses human rights risks in its operations and supply chain.  The human rights shareholder proposal will be presented by Greg Kinczewski of The Marco Consulting Group, a Chicago-based registered investment adviser.

The human rights shareholder proposal, No. 4 on the company’s proxy card, urges T-Mobile’s Board of Directors to report on its compliance with the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, also commonly known as the “Ruggie Principles.”  T-Mobile’s parent company Deutsche Telekom, which owns 67 percent of T-Mobile’s outstanding shares, has endorsed the Ruggie Principles.

“Human rights violations can have detrimental effects on a company’s reputation and its brand name” said Brandon Rees, acting director of the AFL-CIO Office of Investment.  “Ensuring that T-Mobile complies with human rights is good for T-Mobile’s business and its shareholders,” he added.

Institutional Shareholder Services, the leading proxy advisory firm, recently recommended that T-Mobile shareholders vote for the proposal.

The proposal asks T-Mobile to report on human rights risks in its own operations and in its supply chain.  For example, the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint alleging that T-Mobile violated its employees’ rights under federal labor law, including the right to form and join unions. T-Mobile is also exposed to human rights risks in its cellphone supply chain and overseas call centers.

Amber Diaz, a former T-Mobile employee who was allegedly illegally fired for exercising her rights to organize a union, will attend the company’s annual shareholder meeting.  Ms. Diaz and representatives of the AFL-CIO and the Communications Workers of America will speak at the annual meeting in support of the human rights shareholder proposal.

Ms. Diaz and representatives of the AFL-CIO and the Communications Workers of America will speak at the annual meeting in support of the human rights shareholder proposal, and are available for interviews.