As AT&T moves to merge with Lumen Technologies in a multibillion-dollar deal, the telecommunications company has expressed no desire to roll back its current DEI policies.
While speaking to Yahoo Finance about the merger, AT&T’s CEO John Stankey said, while he does not want to “prognosticate on the future,” and despite the merger needing approval from the Trump Adminstration, “We don’t have to roll back anything.”
“Our policies and our approach at AT&T have always been that we progress people on merit. That any employee that comes to work here should have an opportunity to grow their career, work on building their skills, have an opportunity to succeed and earn a living,” he explained.
The company announced on Wednesday, May 21, its plans to acquire all of Lumen Technologies’ fiber business for $5.75 billion, the outlet reported. A deal of this kind would require regulatory approval from the current administration and new FCC Chair Brendan Carr, who has been cracking down on corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Some of AT&T’s competitors, including Verizon and T-Mobile, have recently balked under the pressure and slashed away at their DEI policies to pursue deals of their own. As of now, the administration has not indicated that it opposes the deal in any way. Stankey also highlighted how the deal is in line with what the administration has said it wants from massive mergers.
“We’re investing in great infrastructure that makes the US economy more competitive. We’re going into footprints and markets where the previous owner didn’t have the wherewithal and capability to do that,” he explained.
Stankey’s confidence in gaining approval may also rest on the fact that the company has quietly modified some DEI aspects. In March, the HR Grapevine reported that the company was no longer encouraging individuals to wear pins with their preferred pronouns, and a handful of LGBTQ+ events had been canceled. The company also renamed the role of chief diversity officer, currently held by Michelle Jordan, to vice president of culture and inclusion.
Speaking to Yahoo Finance at the time, the company declined to comment on the changes but stressed it was “committed to serving customers across the country, being the industry’s best connectivity provider, and making sure that all Americans can get connected to the internet and enjoy the opportunities that it provides.”
