Another Lawmaker Calls for T-Mobile to Respect Workers’ Rights
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After meeting with T-Mobile USA workers in his home state of Connecticut over the weekend, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D) sent a letter to Rene Obermann, CEO of T-Mobile’s parent Deutsche Telekom, urging the company to respect the rights of T-Mobile workers to make a decision about whether to unionize in an open, free and fair environment.
“The right of workers to unionize is guaranteed by the National Labor Relations Act and is critical to a healthy workforce,” Blumenthal said in the letter.
Employees who wish to collectively bargain through a union should be able to do so without fear of discrimination or reprisal. I expect that T-Mobile management will cease all intimidation tactics and allow these technicians and all Connecticut T-Mobile employees to have the uninhibited opportunity to vote on union representation.
U.S. Rep. Condemns T-Mobile’s Anti-Union Campaign in NLRB Rule Hearing
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During yesterday’s Republican-dominated House Education and Workforce hearing on proposed rules changes by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), working men and women packed the hearing. Their message that workers’ right to join a union should be protected was repeated by the Democratic members of the committee in sharp questioning of the mostly anti-worker witnesses.
Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) read into the record the worker testimony from William Reitz, a T-Mobile USA technician who, along with other techs from Long Island, filed for union election in May. In response, T-Mobile has engaged in frivolous claims and delay tactics at the NLRB. T-Mobile has used the time it has gained by filing charges at the NLRB to harass and intimidate the workers–supposed to provide ”the facts” to the employees. (See video above)
Family and Medical Leave Extended to Flight Crews
Airline flight crews will soon have the same family and medical leave coverage other working Americans have enjoyed since 1993. The House of Representatives approved legislation yesterday amending the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to allow airline pilots and flight attendants to qualify for leave. The bill now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign it.
The FMLA requires state agencies and private employers with more than 50 employees to give workers up to 12 weeks off to care for themselves or a family member. But because of the unique way their work hours are counted, pilots and flight attendants have found it difficult—if not impossible—to meet the 1,250-hour-per-year threshold required for FMLA eligibility.
