Choose your language:
| Get involved! |
Check out our Online Store!
Headquarters:
900 Alice St., #320, Oakland, CA 94607
Phone: 510-653-3415
Fax: 510-986-1062
tigra@transnationalaction.org, www.transnationalaction.org
Regional Coordinators:
San Francisco:
Jessie Fernandez, 415-832-0386, fernandez.jessie@gmail.com
Oakland:
Alex Gutierrez, 510-653-3415
tigra@transnationalaction.org
Los Angeles:
David Silva Villalobos, 559-303-0221, dsilvavillalobos@yahoo.com.mx
Minneapolis:
Amina Dualle, 952-994-8712, aminadualle@hotmail.com
Gerardo Cajamarca, 612-623-8003, gentelatinauswa@yahoo.com
Chicago:
Carlos Arango, 312-666-5508, carango957@aol.com
North Carolina:
Anna Lee, 910-465-9215, aleebeach@yahoo.com
Boston:
Carlos Rosales, 617-522-0582, iseduc@aol.com
Providence:
Pahola Roca, 401-365-8695, cheparoca@hotmail.com
Shannah Kurland, 401-228-8996, shannah_k@hotmail.com
New York:
Jessica Violetta, 954-591-9201,
jess.tigra@gmail.com
Texas:
Che López, 210-299-2666,
chelopez@swunion.org
Search the website:
Evidence of Racist Practices within Western Union's Austrian Offices
The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) is very concerned by claims of racism practiced within Western Union Offices in Vienna/Austria. Our concerns were triggered by a report about the recruitment of black people by Western Union. It has come to our attention that in May 2006 Mr. Simon Inou, an award-winning journalist, interviewed for a job at the Western Union office in Vienna and was shortlisted for the job. Soon after his interview Mr. Inou received a call from a rather distraught Communications Director explaining that her boss had been in to see her and had casually mentioned that it might not look good if she as an African female employed another African. Her boss felt that the other employees might get the impression that she could not work with white people if she employed another African, and told her "to rise above it". The Director was very disturbed by these comments and later explained to Mr. Inou that because of these perspectives she did not think that she had a future in Western Union in the long term, and therefore that it was, perhaps, meaningless for her to pursue further interviews with Mr. Inou as he no doubt would soon find himself in the same situation. Thus, Mr. Inou was dropped from the short list, apparently, because he was black.
Our probe into the matter concludes that Western Union's diversity policies seem to stop short of the inclusion of black people within the company at the corporate level. There are only two (2) black employees out of more than 100 in the office in Vienna, the center of Western Union's operations in Europe, Africa and Asia. Promotions at the corporate level seem to be reserved primarily for Whites and Asians. There are no black people among the senior staff on the Board or on the corporate management team. This leaves the black employees with no possibility to lobby within the organisation.
We understand that Western Union's web site advocates a desire to be seen as a diverse company that practices cultural inclusion. We also truly believe that this may be the case when it comes to Western Union's customers. African Diasporas are seen as very attractive remitters, and the fees they pay to remit money to Africa are a crucial part of what helps Western Union achieve attractive results, promoting healthy shareholder value and helping to pay out attractive bonuses. In March 2008, Western Union posted their annual earnings. Western Union's revenue grew 10% to $4.9 billion with an operating income of $ 1.3 billion and a strong operating income margin of 27%. We can assume that a significant operating profit comes from customers who are African or of African descent working in Europe, Africa and America remitting money to take care of their families and loved ones. Although Western Union enjoys the lucrative patronage of Africans and people of African descent –making very decent profits from them -- black employees of Western Union are not treated as equals or in the same manner as their White or Asian colleagues.
The African Diaspora is very large in the US, UK, France and several countries in Europe, Africa and around the globe. However, the same inclusion does not seem to be in practice with the black employees in the company. Frankly we have come to the conclusion that blacks are deliberately kept out of the company at the corporate level. Our probe notes that there is only one black VP in the entire organisation and although Western Union is more or less forced to have African management at a local level these managers have little or no chance to move further up the ranks within the corporation.
As the Austrian National Coordination of the European Network Against Racism, it is our task to confront racism in all its manifestations and to counter it effectively. The outcome of our probe of Western Union is that there are discrepancies between the company's practices and its official diversity policy. We hope that steps will be taken to rectify this situation so that further action can be avoided on all sides.
Sincerely,
Dr. Chibo Onyeji
Austrian National Coordination Representative to ENAR
Board Member of ENAR
Vice President, European Network Against Racism (ENAR)
www.enar-eu.org
Local Campaign Activities:
How Western Union Stole Christmas
(Click on images for full size)
Recent News Coverage:
(Click here for full list of articles)
Make remittance transfer mechanism transparent, The Daily Star
April 17, 2008
The Daily Star
Western Union cuts 650 union jobs in Missouri, Texas, by Hugh Son, Bloomberg News Service
March 20, 2008
The Denver Post
OFW Boycotts in the Works, by Miko L. Morelos
March 13, 2008
Philippine Daily Inquirer
In UN's Corporate Frenzy, Western Union Dismisses Boycott, Coke Exonerates Itself, UNICEF Plays Footsie, by Matthew Russell Lee
February 25, 2008
Inter City Press
Exigen mejorar servicios de consulado mexicano, por Damaso Gonzalez
January 17, 2008
El Diario/La Prensa
Immigrants Call On Mexican Consulate To Do More To Prevent Deportations
January 16, 2008
NY1
Immigrants reclaim remittance fees, by Shannah Kurland
January 15, 2008
Dominican Today
Western Union: Stealing So Much More Than Money, by Francis Calpotura
December 21, 2007
NAM
Why we boycott Western Union, by Dania Flores-Heagney
December 19, 2007
Providence Journal
Group calls for Western Union boycott, by John Han
December 19, 2007
Fog City Journal
Radio Segment on the KPFA Evening News
December 19, 2007
KPFA
Activist criticizes Western Union rates as unfair to immigrants, by Diane Dietz
November 16, 2007
Eugene Register-Guard
Power of Love and Money, by Francis Calpotura
November 12, 2007
SAMAR
Clifton-based magazine helps immigrant writers, by Meredith Mandell
November 13, 2007
Herald News
Africa: Sending Money Home, by William Minter
November 5, 2007
AllAfrica.com
Boicot a Western Union por Manuel Ortiz
October 19, 2007
Alianza Metropolitan News
Demandan poner orden en transacción de remesas, por Mauricio Pérez
October 4, 2007
Milenio Diario
Inmigrantes contra Western Union, por Judith Torrea
October 3, 2007
El Diario/La Prensa
Immigrant groups working to make it cheaper to wire money home, by Satta Sarmah
October 2, 2007
Medill Reports - Northwestern Univ
Groups protest money-transfer fees, by Tatiana Pina
September 23, 2007
Providence Journal
Making Migrant Dollars Go Far, by Marcela Sanchez
September 21, 2007
Washington Post
