Cablevision Fires 23 Technicians after Union Action
Source: Labor Notes
Alexandra Bradbury
Cablevision fired 23 workers in Brooklyn today after they tried to use managements open door policy to talk to a vice president about how the company is stonewalling their first-contract bargaining, according to the Communications Workers of America.
About 70 workers gathered in the cafeteria and tried to speak to a vice president this morning, organizer Tim Dubnau said, and at first they were told he was too busy to speak with them. Some gave up after a few minutes and left to begin their work routes, while others waited on.
Then a vice president came out and told them they were all fired for striking, Dubnau said, though none had refused to work. In fact, some of the workers who had begun their routes by this time were called back to the garage to be terminated.
Cablevision has illegally failed to negotiate in good faith with its Brooklyn workers, illegally intimidated workers in other boroughs, and today brazenly violated federal law by firing workers for protected activity, said Chris Shelton, vice president of CWA District 1.
FULL story at link.
Read more: http://labornotes.org/blogs/2013/01/cablevision-fires-23-technicians-after-union-action
From the CWA:
http://www.cwa-union.org/news/entry/cwa_condemns_cablevision-optimum_for_illegally_firing_23_workers#.UQmmCPLNmSo
CWA Condemns Cablevision-Optimum for Illegally Firing 23 Workers
Unlawful action by company follows history of anti-worker activity, settlement of NLRB charges and refusal to offer workers a fair contract
Jan 30, 2013
Today, 23 Brooklyn Cablevision workers were illegally fired after attempting to discuss the lack of good-faith bargaining by the company with their management and expressing support for their bargaining committee protected activities by federal law. The Communications Workers of America, which the workers voted to join a year ago, condemned the firings as an illegal and outrageous attack on the companys hard-working employees. Last week, CWA had filed unfair labor practice charges alleging bad-faith bargaining by Cablevision-Optimum.
Over the last year, Cablevision-Optimum has demonstrated it not only lacks respect for its Brooklyn employees who have chosen to stand up for their rights as workers, but also for federal labor laws and the entire borough of Brooklyn, said Chris Shelton, Vice President of CWA District 1. Cablevision has illegally failed to negotiate in good faith with its Brooklyn workers, illegally intimidated workers in other boroughs, and today brazenly violated federal law by firing workers for protected activity. By singling out 23 leaders who were ready to work by terminating them, Cablevision is trying to take New York City back to the bad days when workers were openly exploited and mistreated by abusive corporations.
Todays action by Cablevision-Optimum to fire workers is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act, which protects the rights of workers to engage in group activity, and it follows the companys recent settlement of NLRB charges alleging it violated Brooklyn workers rights. CWA expects the NLRB to issue a complaint soon on other acts of intimidation and harassment.
Over a year ago, nearly 300 Cablevision technicians and dispatchers in Brooklyn joined the CWA, in one of the first successful organizing drives in the largely non-union cable industry and despite a vicious anti-union campaign of harassment and intimidation. But nearly a year later, Cablevision has yet to offer its Brooklyn workers a fair contract, choosing to spend far more on executive compensation and union-busting attorneys than it would take to settle a fair contract. To stop the union from spreading beyond Brooklyn, the company even granted all of its technicians between $2 and $9 an hour raises except for its Brooklyn workers. At the same time, at the bargaining table for Brooklyn, Cablevision has refused to bargain in good faith, including refusing to offer any improvements to wages, benefits or working conditions. Cablevisions Brooklyn workers are fighting for equal pay, good benefits, and dignity and respect on the job.
Squinch
(50,949 posts)Warpy
(111,253 posts)but Cablevision will have made its point: you try to tell management what we're doing wrong, we'll take your jobs away.
Assholes. I'm sure they budgeted for the lawsuit.
yourout
(7,527 posts)DainBramaged
(39,191 posts)Took a lawsuit for them to stop disparaging Verizon and the satellite companies, they treat their technicians like shit, and they encourage customer service to be abrasive and rude to customers. Blew out Jeremy Lin letting Huston sign him instead of keeping him, thereby ensuring a new fanbase for his putrid Knicks. HATED by all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_L._Dolan
http://observer.com/2008/05/a-season-in-hellville-the-dolans-march-in-but-please-no-press/
union_maid
(3,502 posts)Through Newsday, which they also own. And they endorsed progressive congressman Tim Bishop's outsourcing opponent. Happily their guys lost both those races, but it was outrageous.
Babel_17
(5,400 posts)Hopefully it will be treated as such.
AverageMe
(91 posts)on your next bill state you will not pay it until until they give their workers a fair deal. Explain there are other providers of cable service which you can use. A strike by their consumers is not illegal, and always is the final goal of any picket line in a strike. It is ultimately the only weapon a union has.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)emailing or calling their offices with their thoughts on the action.
Ash_F
(5,861 posts)The guy sounds like the detriment to the company's future. If we want to create jobs and build the economy, we need to take these people out of power.
reteachinwi
(579 posts)Will the NLRB be able to hear the case given judge Sentelle's et.al. chicanery? Is this what emboldened Cablevision?
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)Selatius
(20,441 posts)The industrial base is gone. All that is left is the service sector.
go west young man
(4,856 posts)What a shitty country we have become. It will take decades to unravel this mindset of giving everything to the wealthy.
RKP5637
(67,107 posts)others vote into power those most offensive to their well being. It's a fucked up shitty place. You are so correct, "It will take decades to unravel this mindset of giving everything to the wealthy."
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Freedom and Justice for all, huh?
graham4anything
(11,464 posts)we have it here, there is just about zero choice as Fios is unavailable, and the Dish does not work well in our wooded area.
We had to argue with them during Sandy for a refund and then argue the next bill as some days overlapped to that new bill.
(Hellloooooo, the cable was off for 2 weeks, we had NOOOOOOOOO service, how could you charge us for that time.....should have been automatic without argument)