Communications Workers of America T-Mobile Campaign

COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA -- T-MOBILE CAMPAIGN

BACKGROUND ON THE CAMPAIGN T-Mobile USA, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom (DT), has repeatedly engaged in efforts to deny T- Mobile employees the right to organize and has been cited by the National Labor Relations Board for labor law violations. These efforts stand in stark contrast to DT's own Social Charter and professed commitment to ILO standards that protect the right to freedom of association. DT's double standard in its treatment of its workers represents behavior that is unsustainable and violates the principles of corporate social responsibility.

INVESTOR OUTREACH Investors in Deutsche Telekom have written to the company’s CEO, Rene Obermann, raising concerns about the company’s double standard and how such behavior puts their long term investment at risk. These investors include: Allianz Global Investors, Ethix SRI Investors, New York City Employees’ Retirement System, New York State Common Fund, New York State Teachers Retirement System, and Pennsylvania State Employee Retirement System.

WORKERS’ VOICE AT T-MOBILE T-Mobile workers are increasingly speaking out about how the company uses inconsistent disciplinary procedures and targets employees who assert their rights to form and join a union. LoweringTheBar contains stories and blogs from T-Mobile workers that show concrete examples of how the company mistreats its employees and fosters an atmosphere of fear and intimidation that stifles any genuine attempts by workers to exercise their right to form a union. Here is the link to Lowering the Bar: http://www.loweringthebarforus.org/

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH REPORT DOCUMENTS HOW DEUTSCHE TELEKOM VIOLATES INTERNATIONAL LABOR LAW NORMS In September 2010, Human Rights Watch issued a report that skewered Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile for its double standard. The report -- "A Strange Case: Violations of Workers' Freedom of Association in the United States by European Multinational Corporations" -- concludes that "company policy has translated into practices that leave the workforce fearful about even seeking union representation" (p. 35). Deutsche Telekom proudly proclaims its adherence to international labor law and standards that are embodied in German domestic laws. Unfortunately, HRW finds, "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" (p. 23). The 128-page report can be found here: http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2010/09/02/strange-case-0 .

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SUPPORT T-MOBILE WORKERS Members of Congress have also spoken out in support of T-Mobile workers and/or written directly to Deutsche Telekom’s CEO about this double standard, including 26 Democratic members of the House Education and Labor Committee, 15 members of the California Democratic delegation, seven Republican House members, and Senators Sherrod Brown (OH), Bob Casey (PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), and John Kerry (MA).