Supporting Unionized Companies and Leading by Example by Switching Cellular Service to Responsible Providers

WHEREAS, state and municipal governments around the country are significant institutional customers and have both the ability and responsibility to choose to do business with companies that respect workers' rights; and

WHEREAS, the only union wireless vendor is AT&T Mobility, formerly Cingular Wireless; and

WHEREAS, other major wireless competitors have constantly opposed collective bargaining for their employees; and

WHEREAS, the telecommunications industry is one of the most visible and dynamic industries in the world, and the more attention we can bring to the success story of AT&T, the better; and

WHEREAS, it would be a tremendous boost for our members and their families if state and local governments make it a priority to do business with companies like AT&T that treat its workers fairly and with dignity; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the delegates to the Massachusetts AFL-CIO 2007 Convention fully commit to:

1. Switch cellular service for professional and personal use to AT&T Mobility to support a union company and its workers and also save money through a discount for unions and union employees and their families;
2. Reach out to city and state government officials to encourage them to switch governmental contracts for cellular service to AT&T Mobility, wherever possible and when the health and safety of the employees is not compromised; and
3. Inform their membership about this campaign and encourage them to switch cell phone service and advise them of a discount available to union members at AT&T Mobility through Union Privilege; and be it finally

RESOLVED, that the President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO will transmit a copy of this resolution and other information to all relevant parties to demonstrate its ardent support for unionized cellular service.

Submitted by:
Robert J. Haynes, President
Louis A. Mandarini, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer