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The merger of Alcatel and Lucent Technologies, finalized in late 2006, has been a disaster for U.S. Lucent workers and threatens the effectiveness and continuity of work on key government contracts because of the company’s campaign to get rid of union-represented workers.
Alcatel Lucent continues to seek government contracts at every level – local, state and national – but has stripped qualified workers of their security clearances and is seeking to get rid of its most experienced U.S. workers. This simply is not acceptable.
As a result of the merger, Alcatel Lucent in the United States now operates in three divisions – Lucent Technologies, Bell Labs and Alcatel US – and one wholly owned subsidiary – Lucent Government Services -- created to meet conditions for merger established by a review of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States – CFIUS.
For national security reasons, work performed by Lucent Government Services, or Secure Lucent, is required to be performed by U.S. citizens with appropriate security clearances. Lucent transferred management personnel to the new subsidiary but refused to transfer any of the 65 union-represented workers to the group, despite their extensive background in military and government security work.
These workers have been unfairly stripped of their security clearances, as of Dec. 31, 2006. This means they can no longer work on government projects and contracts, despite their experience, their qualifications and their role in moving those projects forward.
The jobs of some 2,500 other workers -- who support Bell Labs initiatives or work on other government installation and maintenance projects -- also are threatened.
In January 2007, Alcatel Lucent announced that 12,500 jobs worldwide will be eliminated. Company executives met with French worker organizations and the European Works Council but continue to refuse to meet with unions representing U.S. workers. In fact, Alcatel Lucent made a commitment to French and European groups that no involuntary job losses will occur in France. That raises even more concerns about the company’s plan to get rid of union-represented workers in the U.S.
Meanwhile, Alcatel Lucent is hiring workers at its Longview, Tex., and Milpitas, Calif., locations, but refuses to allow U.S. workers likely to lose their jobs to transfer to these facilities.
As a major telecom equipment provider, Alcatel participates in many U.S. Government acquisitions. We believe this unfair and disparate treatment of U.S. workers – compared to how workers in France and other countries are treated – must be examined.
For More Information: CWA Communications, 202-434-1168
March 2007 |
