CWA, Allies Call for Conditions in T-Mobile-MetroPCS Merger

A broad group of national public interest organizations, representing 20 million U.S. households, told the Federal Communications Commission this week that the proposed T-Mobile USA-MetroPCS merger must include conditions that maintain good jobs here in the U.S. and return jobs that have been sent offshore.

Organizations joining CWA's call for conditions on the merger include the NAACP, SEIU, Sierra Club, National Consumers League, Alliance for Retired Americans, Center for Community Change, Jobs With Justice and USAction.

The mayors of Tampa, Fla., Charleston, S.C., and Richmond, Va., also weighed in with the FCC on the need to safeguard U.S. jobs. T-Mobile USA is a major employer in all three communities.

"Clearly, many feel that protecting U.S. jobs is in the public interest. The FCC should impose specific conditions protecting T-Mobile employment," said CWA Senior Director George Kohl. "We are all asking the FCC to make this a 'growth and opportunity merger' for U.S. workers too."

Jobs are a big concern, as MetroPCS already outsources its entire customer care, billing, payment processing and logistics operations. Many of its call centers are located in Mexico, Antigua, Panama, the Philippines and other countries.

T-Mobile USA closed seven U.S. call centers earlier this year, displacing 3,300 employees and moving work to the Philippines and Central America.

T-Mobile USA workers are organizing for CWA representation and have strong support from their German colleagues who recently launched a signature drive to support workers' rights for T-Mobile USA workers, participated in a Facebook protest and have a petition campaign underway to end offshoring and outsourcing of call center and network jobs.