Unions Assess Impact of America Movil Acquisition of Puerto Rican Telephone

For UTCPR, Union of Communications Workers of Puerto Rico: Angelo Andujar, 787-632-1797, angelo.andujar@gmail.com

For CWA: Jeff Miller or Candice Johnson, CWA Communications, 202-434-1168, jmiller@cwa-union.org and cjohnson@cwa-union.org

For STRM: Eduardo Torres Arroyo, Prensa, 5140-1489  Y  51401490, eta@prodigy.net.mx

Following is a joint statement by Francisco Hernandez Juarez, Secretary General of the independent union of  telephone workers of the  Mexican Republic (STRM) and President Larry Cohen of the Communications Workers of America on the acquisition by America Movil of Verizon Communications' 52 percent interest in the Puerto Rican telephone company (PRT).

Washington, D.C. -- The acquisition by America Movil of Verizon Communication's holdings of Puerto Rican Telephone could offer a real opportunity for change and job growth that certainly would benefit all Puerto Ricans. Key to this opportunity is a commitment by America Movil to provide universal service in voice and broadband communications, and to maintain the quality jobs that will guarantee quality service in Puerto Rico.      

STRM, a union with strong democratic roots, represents workers in telecommunications at Telmex. CWA, a strong voice for workers in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, represents installers at Puerto Rican Telephone, who are members of CWA Local 3010.

Angelo Andujar, president of the Union of Communications Workers of Puerto Rico, UTCPR, has expressed concern about the effect of the acquisition on the jobs of installers, who work for contractors that do business with PRT, and quality jobs generally. He also has expressed concern about the transfer of key services, such as communications, "to foreign countries."

We look forward to discussions with the leaders of America Movil on the impact of this acquisition on all the workers at Puerto Rican Telephone, and the opportunities it presents for all Puerto Rico citizens.

Basic voice and access to high speed broadband communications must be available to all citizens for the promise of technology to be realized for all. Many nations already have made great advances in this area. The United States, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, however are falling farther behind as technologies and communications change rapidly, but government public policy has not moved to make this technology fully available to all. It doesn't have to be this way. Communications are a fundamental engine of the development of our economies and countries.   

For many years, STRM and CWA have worked together, and with our mutual employers, on issues affecting telecom workers in both countries. This includes our efforts to gain true universal service and a public policy framework that will benefit rich and poor, and rural and urban residents.

In a joint effort with many other telecommunications unions, we have called for full transparency, trustworthiness and accountability of companies, full universal service, including broadband access, and the continuation of quality jobs and quality service. These principles will result in quality services that can establish telecommunications as a key sector of the economy in all our nations, not merely a vehicle to provide entertainment for the rich and upper middle class.