Search

Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« Hot for Teacher | Beware the Greedy Gravedigger »

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Politics Mallahan Campaign Loves T-Mobile Credentials—Except on That Union Thing and the Gay Stuff

Posted by Dominic Holden on Thu, Jul 9, 2009 at 1:24 PM

Joe Mallahan, who is running for mayor, wants you to measure his qualifications based on his career as T-Mobile executive. "I believe I can do for the city of Seattle what I have done for T-Mobile," he says on his website. Here he is talking about his generosity to Hurricane Katrina victims as an executive for T-Mobile on YouTube. And here's his friend talking up Mallahan's work at T-Mobile on the campaign trail.

But Mallahan's campaign doesn't want you to associate the candidate with T-Mobile when it come to the company's poor track record on gay-friendly business practices. The Human Rights Campaign gave Bellevue-based T-Mobile the lowest ratings in Washington in its Corporate Equality Index in 2008 (.pdf; the company didn't get a review in the 2009 survey). Out of a 100 total score for LGBT-friendly practices, T-Mobile scored only 50 points on the report card, also making it the lowest ranked telecommunications company in the survey. In contrast, those monsters at AT&T, Sprint, and Motorola all got 100 points.

Charla Neuman, spokeswoman, says that Mallahan "would be shocked" by the news. She notes that Mallhan supports gay marriage, adores his lesbian neighbors, and marched in the gay pride parade. "He never had any hesitation to support the LGBT community. The fact that T-mobile is so low on the list will be news to him," says Neuman.

Mallahan also dismissed an anti-union memo apparently passed among T-Mobile executives. Jan Drago, who's up against Mallahan in the primary election next month, issued a statement this morning. Said Drago: "Joe Mallahan can’t have it both ways. He can’t brag about his management background as a T-Mobile executive when it’s convenient, and then disclaim T-mobile management practices when it conflicts with his campaign.”

Share via

Comments (19) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

T-Mobile sucks in general. Their service is spotty and their phone selection blows. I don't feel so bad feeding the whores at At&t now that I know that T-mobile is also a homophobic crap hole.

Posted by I love my iPhone on July 9, 2009 at 1:34 PM

Bad link for the HRC Corporate Equality Index, Dominic--it's concatenated with a Slog URL.

Fixed:
http://www.hrc.org/documents/HRC_Corpora…

Posted by rob! on July 9, 2009 at 1:41 PM

So typical for management to put out misleading half-truths and outright lies to discourage unionization, and then turn around and claim they leave the choice up to their employees. If this was the crap they put in writing, imagine what was actually said to T-Mobile employees who dared mention unionizing.

Expect more doubletalk and obfuscating from this suit if he becomes your mayor.

Posted by UnionYes on July 9, 2009 at 1:44 PM

Maybe I'm missing some larger point...

But what does the mayor do regarding gay issues?

Crap on T-Mobile all you want, but please expand on how this should actually affect a voter's decision.

Posted by Ackham on July 9, 2009 at 2:03 PM

Ask him how well his company protected its customers and people to whom those people speak using his company's network from warrantless eavesdropping on the part of the NSA.

Posted by Phil M on July 9, 2009 at 2:04 PM

Seriously, does anyone have any idea what the hell this guy stands for, other than being rich and wanting to be Mayor? He's been out there for a while, I'm paying attention, and I don't have a damn clue why anyone would support him.

Posted by 401 on July 9, 2009 at 2:12 PM

Never heard of Mallahan until yesterday, when he used TMobile's customer email list to spam our inboxes. WTF, Joe? Doesn't that violate some kind of TMobile corporate / campaign regulation?

Posted by cuckoo for cocoa puffs on July 9, 2009 at 2:28 PM

He isn't using TMobile's customer list. I got a spam too and I don't have anything to do with that company. STOP THE SPAM MALLAHAN!

Posted by I HATE SPAM on July 9, 2009 at 2:31 PM

On June 1st, his twitter account started following me for some reason. I was a bit creeped out.

Posted by stinkbug on July 9, 2009 at 2:36 PM

In reading the report calling T-Mo homophobic isn't fair. It offers full benefits and some of the items it lost out on "Has employer-supported employee resource group OR firm-wide diversity council" is something it doesn't have at all for any type of people.

And what is the deal with a resource group being worth three times as many points as providing dental/vision/COBRA coverage? I would much rather have health coverage for my domestic partner versus meet with some stupid group of people who whine a lot.

Posted by SeattleSeven on July 9, 2009 at 2:45 PM

T-Mobile's CEO Robert Dotson is Mormon. That may have something to do with their less aggressive policies on gay issues. I don't think they allowed alcohol to be consumed at the annual company picnic until just the last year or two.

Posted by MyFaves on July 9, 2009 at 2:54 PM

Mallahan's portrays himself to the public as if he was T-Mobile's CEO. But Mallahan turns out be not much more than a middle manager in a large company. Really not in charge of anything substantive to the company. That's why he is "surprised" when he finds out about T-Mobile's anti gay and anti union activities. Sounds like he is doing a little resume padding to me.

Posted by West Seattle Waiter on July 9, 2009 at 3:47 PM

@7 He most likely used the voter registry for Seattle. http://strand.livejournal.com/313710.htm…

Posted by B Strand

on July 9, 2009 at 4:42 PM

That doesn't really seem fair, Dominic... After all, isn't Joe calling attention to what HE himself has accomplished while working for T-Mobile? While you are bashing him personally for things that the COMPANY is doing?

Posted by Mickymse on July 9, 2009 at 5:15 PM

For chrissakes, Dominic, the man marched in your parade. What does he need to do, give out free handjobs at Pike and Broadway? I like that YouTube video you linked to, though.

Posted by Dominic appreciator on July 9, 2009 at 5:29 PM

I have had the displeasure of working with Joe and I can assure you his lack of people skills is remarkable.

I used to say "Anyone but Nickels." I don't say that anymore.

Posted by Ican'tbelievethis on July 9, 2009 at 7:57 PM

Why haven't we found out yet T-Mobile's role in sharing customer data with the George W. Bush administration?

Posted by Amelia on July 9, 2009 at 8:17 PM

Wow, if Joe Mallahan can break the grip of public employee unions on government employment, he's got my vote. I would love to see all those city employees earning the minimum wages and no benefits that are commesurate with their abilities. Or better yet, outsource a bunch of administrative, technology, and customer service jobs to India.

I don't know about the gay thing (what does T-mobile not do that other industry players do?), but if we can break the public employee unions, I'm willing to overlook it.

Posted by David Wright on July 9, 2009 at 9:30 PM

Much as I hate to admit it, Jan Drago is right in this one case.

Posted by Trevor on July 10, 2009 at 10:10 AM