New York, N.Y. - The Communications Workers of America expressed disappointment at the New York Public Service Commission's decision this week to approve the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, but noted that the union's concerns about likely merger-related job loss were taken into account by the PSC's requirement that the company's direct employment level be preserved at the same level for at least three years after the merger.
The order notes that "[A]ny major transaction, such as the one at issue here, is likely to result in potential harms. In this case, the likely harms are job related. CWA and other parties have explicitly expressed concern that the combined entity will shed jobs in pursuit of synergy savings from the transaction. Loss of employment opportunities is not in the interest of the State of New York…"
While the union applauded the inclusion of job retention requirements at the new T-Mobile, it also expressed disappointment that this requirement does not apply to employees of authorized dealers, who comprise nearly 70 percent of the retail workers potentially affected by the merger in New York.
The Commission also notes T-Mobile's plans to open a Customer Experience Center in Rochester, but the order does not require the company to follow through on those plans.
"While we disagree with the New York Public Service Commission's decision to approve the merger and continue to believe that the proposed T-Mobile/Sprint merger will be harmful to New York workers and consumers, we appreciate that the Commission has clearly heard our job loss concerns and recognized that the impact of the merger on jobs is directly relevant to the public interest standard," said Dennis Trainor, Vice President of CWA District 1. "CWA's efforts have ensured that hundreds of New York T-Mobile/Sprint workers are more likely to keep their jobs thanks to this PSC order."
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