The union representing Germany's largest telecommunications provider plans to join forces with its US counterpart in an unprecedented bid to strengthen American workers' rights.
The move shines a light on the challenges unions face in an increasingly global economy.
The Verdi services union, which represents employees of German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom, has said it would join forces with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) in a bid to organize workers at T-Mobile USA.
As a result, the German union will represent T-Mobile USA workers while the CWA holds talks with Telekom managers at its Bonn headquarters. The combined union will be known as TUnion.
Up to now, CWA has failed to unionize the Bellevue, Washington-based T-Mobile USA. The company is the fourth-largest US mobile phone service and has a strong anti-union reputation.
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