T-Mobile Workers Win Union Voice in Connecticut

Hamden, Connecticut -- T-Mobile USA technicians in Connecticut today voted for representation by the Communications Workers of America-TU.

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://weexpectbetter.org/oecd.