AT&T Acquisition Positive Step for T-Mobile Workers

WASHINGTON,. April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Last week, AT&T and Deutsche Telekom AG announced that the two entities had reached an agreement for AT&T’s acquisition of T-Mobile. The Teamsters Union supports the joining of these two mobile communications providers as a positive sign that T-Mobile workers will soon enjoy the same protections and bargaining power as the 42,000 unionized workers at AT&T.

A strong partnership already exists between the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the German trade union ver.di. The two unions formed a joint organization called TU that represents T-Mobile workers in both Europe and the United States.

“This merger not only represents a commitment by AT&T to take the necessary steps toward expanding and modernizing America’s network infrastructure, but also means that hundreds of T-Mobile workers will work for a management team that maintains full neutrality toward union membership,” said Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa. “I have no doubt in my mind T-Mobile’s workers will only benefit from their association with the CWA and the union’s president, Larry Cohen.”

Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters