................Comcast Union Bulletin Board................

Comcast techs lose bid for union through NLRB process

2011-12-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

Aggressive management interference frustrates techs bid for union through NLRB process

Fall River, MA -- Comcast technicians at the Fall River and Fairhaven Massachusetts garages have been working together for over a year to win union recognition and the right to sit down with management to discuss improving their wages and working conditions.

Knowing how successful management has been across the country at destroying majority support for collective bargaining, the techs in Southeastern Mass. pursued an alternative route also sanctioned by the National Labor Relations Act: voluntary recognition from management. (See Section 7 of the NLRA.)

The workers signed up about 65 percent of their co-workers to form a union with IBEW Local 2322. Congressman Stephen Lynch and Fall River Mayor William Flanagan counted the cards to verify their majority.

However after a year of fruitless attempts to meet with management, frustrated union supporters sought an NLRB supervised election. By winning a majority vote, federal labor law would compel management to finally begin the long sought after negotiations.

But Comcast management knows too well how to play the union election game. As in most other bids by workers to form unions, it used its near complete access to employees and its power over their work lives to chip away at their confidence in the strength of sticking together as a group and the benefits of collective bargaining.

Once the union petition was filed on November 4, management used the intervening six weeks to wear the techs down with misinformation about unions and pleas for a "second chance" to fix problems without a "third party."

When the vote finally took place on Dec. 14, the Comcast workers lost their election 42 to 50. The final count was held at the Comcast office on Warren Street in Fall River.

"We just wanted to win one for the little guy," said Christine Dexter, who has worked at Comcast for nine years. "We want to achieve a little bit of security and the opportunity to share in Comcast's success. While losing the vote was discouraging, you can't let it get you down. We are going to keep educating our co-workers and fighting the good fight."

"The techs from Fall River and Fairhaven were supported by other Comcast workers across the country," said IBEW organizer Steve Smith. "Script writers on Comcast-owned TV shows united in the Writers Guild of America West wrote a strong letter of solidarity, as did Comcast techs from both IBEW and CWA locals in Pennsylvania. Comcast members from IBEW Local 827 in New Jersey travelled to Massachusetts twice for meetings to encourage their co-workers to vote yes."

Representatives Bill Keating and Barney Frank also wrote letters encouraging the Comcast techs to support collective bargaining in the December 14 vote.

Union supporters have shared a number of concerns about management's conduct over the last six weeks and are considering filing unfair labor practice charges.

For updates about the Comcast workers union, visit the Comcast Union Bulletin Board at: http://comcastunion.blogspot.com or call (978) 302-3690.

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

-- Winston Churchill

Letter of Support for Comcast techs from Rep. Barney Frank

2011-12-13T16:26:00.000-08:00

Letter of Support for Comcast techs from Rep. Barney Frank

Letter of support for Comcast workers from Rep. William Keating.

2011-12-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

You can read the original copy of this letter in .pdf format by clicking here

December 7, 2011

I.B.E.W. Local 2322 c/o Steve Smith
106 West Grove Street
Middleboro, MA 02346

To the Comcast Workers of Fall River and Fairhaven:

I write to extend my support and encouragement to you as the date of your election for union representation by IBEW Local 2322 draws near. I assure you that I will be following these elections very closely.

While I am pleased that this selection is now taking place, I would have preferred to see good faith bargaining begin last year. Had Comcast recognized Comcast workers from F all River and Fair Haven in the fall of 2010 IBEW after Local 2322 obtained union representation cards from over half of its employees, this process would already be well underway.

As we emerge from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Americans across the country have found themselves faced with daily uncertainties. Stable health benefits, safe working conditions, and secure wages should not contribute to this anxiety. I believe that now, more than ever, it is essential to ensure that people have access to these resources, and I commend your decision to petition for an election with the National Labor Relations Board.

Please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff regarding any matter of concern in the future. I hope to hear from you soon, and I look forward to welcoming you to IBEW Local 2322 next week.

Sincerely,

William R. Keating
Member of Congress

Meet IBEW Comcast Field Techs from NJ

2011-12-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

Don't Miss the Informational Meeting for all Comcast Techs

Monday, Dec. 12

8:00 PM

VFW 144 Cross Road

North Dartmouth

You have heard what Comcast managment has to say. You have heard what former Adelphia techs have to say.

Now you have the opportunity to speak with Comcast union techs from Fairfield, NJ.

They are returning to ensure that everyone's questions will be answered.

You owe it to yourself and your family to spend an hour to get the information you need to make the decision that is right for you.

The IBEW Comcast techs will be in Dartmouth to answer any and all questions you may have.

Informational Meeting for Comcast Techs on Dec 12 2011

Letter of support from NBC-Universal Comcast script writers

2011-12-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

Writers Guild of America, West

Dear Fellow Comcast Employees:

The writers of both Chelsea Lately and The Soup wish you luck on your upcoming election and would like to express our support for your organizing efforts at Comcast.

While there are many differences in our work environments and job duties, our units have followed similar paths, all of us asking the company to accept the obvious and voluntarily recognize our designated unions as our collective bargaining agents. As with your situation, the company dug their heels in and we ultimately were forced to file for an NLRB election in order to move our campaign forward. On September 26^th and September 29^th respectively, the writers of our two shows voted unanimously in favor of representation by the Writers Guild of America, West.

We firmly believe that our unanimous vote sent a strong message to Comcast that their anti-union tactics will no longer work and that we expect a fair contract when this process is concluded. We encourage you to join together at your election on December 14^th and send a similar message, demanding that Comcast honor your right to union representation and your desire for fair treatment in the workplace.

Stand strong brothers and sisters!

In solidarity,

The Writers of Chelsea Lately: Chelsea Handler, Tom Brunelle, Sue Murphy, Sarah Colonna, Fortune Feimster, Chris Franjola, Jen Kirkman, Steve Marmalstein, Heather McDonald, Jeff Wild, Josh Wolf and Brad Wollack

The Writers of The Soup: K.P. Anderson, Dominic Deleo, Lee Farber, Greg Fideler, Andrew Genser and Tess Rafferty

Tom's River, NJ Comcast Techs (United in Local 827) Win Wage Increase for BBC Employees

2011-11-20T11:23:00.000-08:00

American Arbitration Association

AAA Case No. 18 300 00353 10

In the Mater of the Arbitration

Between: IBEW Local 827 and Comcast

Opinion and Award

Grievance: Wage Increase for Broadband Certified Employees

* * * *

<Excerpted from conclusion on page 23>

In brief summary, I find that the Company failed to make clear to the Union during the 2008 – 2009 negotiations that it intended to eliminate the BBC Increase, thereby leaving the BBC Increase intact. Accordingly, I conclude that the Company violated the 2006 – 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement, as modified by the MOA, when it paid BBC employees at a lower wage rate than that to which they were entitled.

The Company should have calculated the wages of the BBC employees as follows: (1) adjust their 2008 wage to the fixed rate, as mandated by the MOA; (2) increase that rate by the general increase of 2.3%; and (3) add the BBC Increase of 5%. For the ensuing two years, the Company was required to add to the previous year's rate the applicable general increase. In the case of a Sr. Maintenance Technician, for 2009 – 2010 the rate should have been: (1) adjusted to the fixed rate of $25.46; (2) increased by 2.3% to $26.05; and (3) increased by 5% to $27.35. For 2010 – 2011, the rate should have been increased by 1.9% to $28.40. Because the Company did not properly calculate the BBC employees' wage rates, it will be directed to make the BBC employees whole.

Award

For the forgoing reasons, I conclude that the Company violated the 2006 – 2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement, as modified by the MOA, by failing to implement the negotiated wage increases for employees with broadband certification. Accordingly, I hereby direct the Company forthwith to make whole the adversely affected employees with broadband certification.

November 17, 2011

/s/

Lawrence S. Coburn

Date set for Fall River and Fairhaven union election

2011-11-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

The NLRB has scheduled the Fall River and Fairhaven union election for Dec. 14. The election will be held at both locations from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.

The workers petitioned for a unit of customer techs, but at the insistence of Comcast management, the unit will also include the line techs as well.

Pro-union workers and the company are each entitled to have observers present at all times to make sure the election is conducted fairly.

Ballots will probably be counted immediately afterwards.

Pittsburgh-Area Comcast Techs Win Progressive New Contract

2011-11-14T17:49:00.000-08:00

A CWA unit of Comcast technicians near Pittsburgh ratified a favorable new contract Tuesday, the latest victory for workers who time and time again have shown the anti-union cable giant that their solidarity is unbreakable.

Less than 24 hours after negotiations wrapped up, the South Hills unit of CWA Local 13000 voted to ratify the three-year contract by a 6-to-1 margin. It includes annual raises with an extra pay bump for lower-wage workers, a signing bonus, changes in GPS monitoring practices, better procedures for overtime and holidays, and other progress.

At a contract ratification party Nov. 8, former anti-union agitator Carl Cupp, center, thanked CWA Local 13000 members for fighting Comcast on his behalf. From left in back are Matt Keddie, Mark Onofrey and Sam Rocca.

"We had no givebacks, no concessions," unit President Sam Rocca said, recalling how company negotiators asked Monday what it would take to get a contract that members would ratify. Union negotiators "shot for the moon, and we landed among the stars," he said.

The South Hills unit, one of three CWA units at Comcast near Pittsburgh, has a long history of resolve. It took them five years and four elections to get their first contract in 1999, and in the years since, the company has routinely tried to get South Hills and the other units decertified.

Rumors of a South Hills decertification campaign began again this fall, two months before the contract's Nov. 7 expiration. "Sam and his council met it head-on," said Marge Krueger, CWA District 2-13 administrative director and chief negotiator. "They put together a petition with a photograph of their Verizon brothers and sisters rallying in New York, and explained to their co-workers that this is what unity looks like."

Before a decert attempt could even get off the ground, 48 of the 58 South Hills members signed the petition, which hung on a union bulletin board. "It sent a strong message," Krueger said. "The company knew they could waste their time, but ultimately we were going to win."

The contract's supporters even included technician Carl Cupp, who, in four decades at Comcast and its predecessors, had never signed a union card. In past years, Comcast rotated him among worksites to sign decertification petitions and vote "no" in representation elections. The company rewarded his loyalty earlier this year by cutting his quality control job and telling him he could leave or go back to work as a service tech, meaning he'd be climbing poles in his late 60s.

CWA went to bat for Cupp, demanding Comcast honor contract language that requires the company to offer employees in his situation a buyout. The union got him 44 weeks of pay, a retiree health and cable package, and other benefits.

At the contract celebration Tuesday night, a humble and grateful Cupp thanked his new friends. Rocca said, "He stood up and said, 'The company did nothing for me. When I needed help, it was the union that helped me out.'"

Contracts for the three Pittsburgh-area Comcast units expire six months apart. The Alle-Kiski unit ratified a contract last May and bargaining for Corliss will begin in spring 2012.

Source: CWA Communications Department

Comcast workers seek vote on collective bargaining

2011-11-08T18:27:00.000-08:00

Comcast workers petition Labor Board for vote on collective bargaining

Customer Communication Technicians who work out of Comcast's Fall River and Fairhaven offices have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to supervise a union representation election. If a majority of the techs vote for union representation it will finally compel management to begin talks with employees for improvements in wages and working conditions.

The technicians have been pursuing collective bargaining for over a year. In September 2010, a majority of the workers signed up with IBEW Local 2322 and requested that management voluntarily recognize their new union. Workers sought voluntary recognition because of management's history of aggressive -- and sometimes illegal -- interference in workers' freedom to choose a voice at work.

When Comcast management refused to voluntarily begin talks about wages and working conditions, the techs enlisted support from their elected officials, other Comcast workers and community groups to pressure Comcast into recognizing their union.

Congressmen Barney Frank, Jim McGovern, Stephen Lynch, Bill Keating, John Tierney and Senator John Kerry have repeatedly urged Comcast to begin talks with its employees. Hundreds of unionized Comcast workers across the country have signed letters of solidarity and support for their co-workers in Massachusetts. In another show of support, many Massachusetts communities have sought to include workers' rights as part of their franchise agreements with Comcast.

"While we weren't successful at getting Comcast to sit down and talk with us, we are more confident than ever that collective bargaining and a union contract is what we need to have job security at Comcast," said Brian Almeida, a tech from the Fall River garage with ten years of service.

"Management recently made some changes in our working conditions that could adversely affect our service and our work," Almeida continued. "We really need collective bargaining to have a stronger voice on a broad range of issues."

"Over the last year we have become better informed about our rights and more united on the job," said Christine Dexter, a tech who spoke at a White House forum on workers' rights last March. "It has given us the confidence to move ahead with an NLRB election."

The workers' petition was filed with the NLRB on November 4. The union vote is expected in about six weeks.

For updates about the Comcast workers union, visit the Comcast Union Bulletin Board at: http://comcastunion.blogspot.com or call (978) 302-3690.

Mass. Comcast techs learn about union experience in Fairfield, NJ

2011-10-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

Comcast techs – some for, and some against collective bargaining – gathered to hear from Willie Ruiz and Nick Castillo: who are both techs out of the Fairfield, NJ garage. The meeting gave techs from Mass. an opportunity to ask questions and find out more about what being united in a union is like at Comcast.

Two Comcast technicians from Fairfield, NJ were the featured speakers on Oct. 19 at a lively meeting at the Fall River Elks Club to discuss their decision to form a union with IBEW Local 827 and what it's like now that they have negotiated their first contract.

The two techs, Willie Ruiz and Nick Castillo, answered questions about how their work life has changed since an overwhelming majority of techs at their garage voted to ratify their first contract.

Ruiz and Castillo are both stewards for the Fairfield group. During the nearly two hour meeting, they answered questions on how they now handle job titles, pay brackets, work schedules, discipline, health & safety, and the use of contractors at Fairfield. They also answered questions about union dues and procedures.

After the meeting: Comcast techs Logan Bourque, Dave Correia, Ray Pacheco, Brian Almeida, Steve Lally, and Christine Dexter gathered with Willie Ruiz and Nick Castillo.

At the end of the meeting Castillo summed up their experience by saying, "We have so much more control over our area and a real voice in our future. Favoritism has practically been eliminated. We have better job security because management must get rid of all contractors before any layoffs. With our union, we've made Comcast more of a democracy and less of a dictatorship!"

For more information about our union, call (978) 302-3690 or visit: http://comcastunion.blogspot.com

Management Rights?

2011-10-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

Comcast is talking about the "Management Rights" clause in contracts that it has signed with the local union members in other locations around the country.

What is the "Management Rights" clause and why is management trying to use it against employees?

The "Management Rights" clause in union contracts spells out that management has the right to run its business. If you read the "Management Rights" clause by itself, it gives the impression that management can do just about anything it wants to. That's why management is running around talking with everyone about how it makes the union weak.

But it's not the whole story. That's because the Management Rights clause applies – "Except as modified by an explicit provision of this agreement or established past practice."[1]

So in fact, "Management Rights" shows just how much a union contract spells out in great detail all of your rights under the other clauses of the contract.

Contract clauses that limit any discharge or discipline except for "just cause"; language that spells out rights on job assignments, titles, promotions and use of contractors. Pages and pages of language that give union members some "say so" on almost every aspect of your work day and job security!

All backed up by a grievance procedure with teeth because the final decision in a dispute about your rights is decided by a neutral party.

Management wants to talk with everyone about "Management Rights"; but now it's time to talk about Workers Rights!

[1] COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT between COMCAST and IBEW Local 827, AFL-CIO, March 1, 2011 – February 28, 2013

Update on Cohen fundraiser: "Comcast people among Obama Victory Fund top donors"

2011-09-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

See boldface section below...

Comcast people among Obama Victory Fund top donors

By Bob Fernandez, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: 09/04/2011

With the 2012 presidential campaign heating up, Comcast Corp. executives or their wives, board members, and lower-ranking employees are some of the leading contributors to President Obama's reelection campaign.

More than 30 individuals gave, earlier this year, a total of $235,650 to the Obama Victory Fund, which supports Obama's reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan tracker of politics and money.

The Comcast contributions came several months after the federal government approved Comcast's deal to acquire NBC Universal Inc. and were the largest from individuals associated with one company or law firm in the January-through-June campaign-finance-reporting period. They easily beat the second-ranking organization on the center's list: Wall Street powerhouse law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom L.L.P., whose lawyers and employees contributed $141,500 to the fund, a fund-raising vehicle for higher-dollar political contributions.

A Comcast official said the political contributions were personal decisions and not actions taken through the cable company's political-action committee.

"Comcast's political giving is balanced nearly evenly between Republicans and Democrats. The personal contributions of our employees or members of their families are not controlled by the company and are at the discretion of the individual," Sena Fitzmaurice, vice president of government communications, said Friday. "Even so, our employees contribute to both Republicans and Democrats - including in presidential campaigns."

Though substantial, the Comcast political contributions were a small fraction of the $39 million that Obama raised over the six-month reporting period for the Obama Victory Fund. Obama is expected to eventually raise hundreds of millions of dollars by the time voters cast ballots in November 2012.

Dates of the Comcast-connected contributions, available on public filings at the Federal Election Commission, show they were made in May and June and were likely affected by a fund-raising dinner held in late June by David Cohen, a Comcast executive and influential Democrat. Obama attended the 120-person dinner in the backyard of Cohen's Mount Airy home.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics' database, the biggest Comcast donors, or those who "maxed-out" with $35,800 contributions, were not direct Comcast employees but two wives of Comcast executives, Gretchen Burke and Rhonda Cohen, and board member Jeffrey Honickman. Gretchen Burke is the wife of Stephen Burke, the new head of NBCUniversal. Rhonda Cohen is the wife of David Cohen, an executive vice president with responsibility for public and government affairs. David Cohen also contributed $15,000 to the Obama Victory Fund, bringing their total as a couple to $50,800. Cohen was not available for comment.

Besides his duties on the Comcast board, Honickman is president of Pepsi-Cola & National Brand Beverages Ltd., a Pennsauken bottling and distribution company. He was not available for comment Friday.

Neither Comcast chief executive officer Brian Roberts nor his wife, Aileen, were on the contributor list to the Obama Victory Fund, though they have a relationship with the president. The Robertses entertained Obama and aide Valerie Jarrett last month at their Martha's Vineyard mansion.

Obama officials described the Robertses as friends of Obama and Jarrett in an official statement in August and characterized the Vineyard event as an "informal reception." David Cohen also attended the reception.

The Federal Communications Commission, led by Obama-appointee Julius Genachowski, approved the $30 billion Comcast/NBCU transaction with conditions Jan. 18 after a long government review. The Department of Justice approved the deal that same day.

The relationship between the FCC, the chief regulator of telecommunications companies, and Comcast has improved from the Bush years when Kevin Martin headed the agency. Martin publicly bashed Comcast's cable TV rates.

More than most companies, Comcast - the nation's largest provider of cable TV and residential Internet - has a full plate of issues pending in Washington that could affect its business.

"Comcast has become more and more active in politics. They've been donating more, they've been lobbying more, and these donations are part of that," said the Center for Responsive Politics spokesman Michael Beckel. "They are incredibly interested and invested in the political future of Barack Obama. . . . It is the way the American politics game is played. It only becomes unseemly if there is a quid pro quo."

Joel Kelsey, the political director at the nonprofit group Free Press, a frequent Comcast critic, said: "Comcast is a company that knows its way around D.C. . . . They are willing to pay large sums of money to get their way in Washington, but that does not make them any different than most large companies."

Obama's success at Comcast this year is a stark contrast with the last presidential election cycle. Before Obama emerged as the front-runner then, the leading Democratic choice, based on contributions from employees and those associated with Comcast, was Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the favored Republican was Mitt Romney, according to data at the Center for Responsive Politics. In 2007, Clinton received $86,950 from those individuals compared with Obama's $37,700. During the same period, Romney received $46,500 compared with Sen. John McCain's $40,450.

Besides those who contributed the maximum to the Obama Victory Fund this year, there were others who were generous. Suzanne Roberts, the wife of Comcast cofounder Ralph Roberts and Brian's mother, contributed $10,000. Sheldon Bonovitz, the chairman emeritus of the Duane Morris L.L.P. law firm and Comcast board member, contributed $20,000. He could not be reached for comment.

Joe Waz, a recently retired Comcast executive in government affairs, contributed $10,000. Kathryn Zachem, senior vice president in regulatory affairs, gave $10,000. Charisse R. Lille, the president of Comcast Foundation in Philadelphia, contributed $20,000.

Technically a joint fund-raising committee, the Obama Victory Fund splits contributions between Obama and the Democratic National Committee. Those who gave the maximum had their funds divided this way: $5,000 to Obama, and $30,800 to the Democratic National Committee, Beckel said.

The emerging Republican field of presidential candidates did not seem to excite those at Comcast earlier this year. Employees - or those associated with the company - contributed $5,000 each during the reporting period to the campaigns of Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty. Pawlenty has pulled out of the race.

Comcast techs on Labor Talk cable TV show

2011-08-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Just in case you missed it, here are the YouTube links to the Labor Talk where Comcast techs from the Fall River and Fairhaven garages were interviewed:

Labor Talk Part 1 April/May 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVuAwcE8_wA

Labor Talk Part 2 April/May 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW4opMnEdVQ

2011-08-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

Comcast's Roberts hosts President Obama on Martha's Vineyard
By Bob Fernandez, Inquirer Staff WriterPosted on Wed, Aug. 24, 2011

In a convoy of black SUVs, followed by the long tail of the Washington press corps, the vacationing President Obama went out of his way Sunday to stop by the house of a friend on Martha's Vineyard.

Obama and close aide Valerie Jarrett were hosted by Brian and Aileen Roberts at their multimillion-dollar North Shore mansion, a property situated off a rutted dirt road in an exclusive neighborhood. Billionaire Dirk Ziff, investment advisor Steven Rattner, and Donald Graham, chairman of the Washington Post, also have houses there looking out over the gorgeous Vineyard Sound.

The White House described the Sunday event as an "informal reception" hosted by "friends of the president." The event was closed to the media, and reporters trailing the visiting Obama family cooled their heels in an outbuilding, eating guacamole and chips and drinking bottled water.

Comcast Corp. spokeswoman D'Arcy Rudnay said Tuesday: "There's not a lot I can tell you. It was a private event." Rudnay repeated a comment by the White House spokesman that the get-together was not a campaign fund-raiser.

Neither the White House nor Comcast would say how many people attended the reception or what the Robertses served the president. Comcast executive vice president David L. Cohen, an influential Democrat, was there, but Michelle Obama and the two Obama girls, Malia and Sasha, were not.

About 100 people attended a similarly described informal reception for Obama at the Vineyard home of Harvard Law School professor Charles Ogletree on Saturday, according to news reports. Sources say the Roberts reception may have been a more intimate affair.

Even though details are not being shared, the Obama reception seems the freshest example of a higher profile that Roberts, head of the nation's largest cable/media company, has assumed since Comcast closed its deal for NBC Universal Inc. earlier this year.

In May, Roberts hosted a Philadelphia fund-raising dinner for the Shoah Foundation of Los Angeles that honored film director Steven Spielberg. Roberts jetted to Lausanne, Switzerland, in early June to participate in NBC's bidding for the U.S. broadcast rights for the Olympics. Comcast/NBCU won those rights through 2020 with a stunning bid of more than $4 billion.

Comcast, a company with legislative and regulatory issues teed up in Washington, also seems to be tightening its relations with the Obama administration.

Roberts has joined the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, serving with Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg, Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, and others.

Cohen - one of the top executives in the cable giant - hosted about 120 people in his Philadelphia home for a fund-raiser attended by Obama, raising $2.5 million in late June for the president's reelection campaign.

Comcast also is heavily promoting a $9.99-a-month discount Internet service for low-income families that it promised as part of its deal for NBCU. Cohen and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a former Obama chief of staff, held a news conference in Chicago announcing the service in late May.

Martha's Vineyard has long been a summer destination for New Englanders, New Yorkers, and others of means. Those drawn to its charms include celebrities, entertainers, journalists, lawyers, business executives, and presidents (the Bill Clinton family also frequented the Vineyard).

The Roberts mansion is in the hilly and forested North Shore, in the town of West Tisbury. The area looks out on a chain of small islands in the Vineyard Sound, the Elizabeth Islands, one of which is owned by the Forbes family, according to a local official.

Massachusetts records note that the Roberts property was purchased in 1999 for $12 million and is held in the name of the North Shore Realty Trust. A trustee is Sheldon M. Bonovitz, a Comcast board member who is married to a cousin of Brian Roberts'. Bonovitz also is chairman emeritus of the Philadelphia law firm Duane Morris L.L.P. A local official said it was common knowledge on the North Shore that the Roberts family owned the house.

Along with the beach, the arts, and the exclusive neighbors, Brian and Aileen Roberts may have found something else congenial on Martha's Vineyard: its cable-TV provider. That would be - who else? - Comcast, which serves the market with TV and Internet.

Contact staff writer Bob Fernandez

Find this article at:
http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20110824_Comcast_s_Roberts_hosts_President_Obama_on_Martha_s_Vineyard.html

Members of Congress, two Mayors press Comcast execs to voluntarily recognize union

2011-08-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

Representatives Barney Frank and John Tierney; Mayors William Flanagan and Scott Lang; as well as aides from Reps Keating, Lynch, McGovern and Sen. Kerry urged Comcast Senior VP for Government Relations Mark Reilly (above right) and Senior Regional VP Stephen Hackley (above left) to voluntarily recognize the techs' union in Fall River and Fairhaven. The hour long meeting took place in Mayor Flanagan's office in Fall River on August 15.

"We sent a strong message of support for the Comcast techs and let management know that we have their backs," said one of the aides afterwards. "But Comcast still refuses to voluntarily recognize the union."

In letters sent to the politicians prior to the meeting, Comcast claimed it was a "pro-employee" company that "respects the right of our employees to choose whether to be represented by a union."

Although

U.S.

labor laws allow the voluntary approach, Comcast argues that if employees desire to gain collective bargaining rights, they should petition the NLRB for an election to prove their majority.

At the meeting, one of the elected officials pressed the executives about the possibility of adopting a code of conduct or ground rules for an NLRB election that would prevent Comcast management from engaging in tactics that are part of its aggressive anti-union playbook. The executives would not consider it.

Comcast techs support Verizon workers

"An Injury to One is an Injury to All!"

A group of Comcast techs, including Steve Lally and Ray Pacheco, picketed in solidarity with striking workers at Verizon's Fall River Garage in on Aug. 12.

"Everyone in the telecom industry has a stake in the outcome of this strike," said Ray Pacheco who has worked for Comcast for fifteen years. "It's time for working people to start standing together. Otherwise these giant corporations and the super-rich are just going to keep cutting us down."

"The Verizon workers are fighting to maintain industry standards," said Steve Lally, a Comcast tech from the Fall River garage. "It was really empowering to be out there with them."

"It's really great to have the Comcast techs walk with us," said Local 2322 union activist Vic Bala. "It shows that we're all in this together!"

For information about what you can do to support striking Verizon workers, call (978) 302-3690 or visit http://www.massjwj.net/content/how-you-can-support-verizon-workers.

Radio ad crashes VP Cohen's Party

Comcast VP David Cohen hosted a $10,000 a plate fundraising dinner for Pres. Obama at his house in Philadelphia on June 30.

Party goers got a surprise when the IBEW took out a radio ad in Philadelphia with a strong message to Comcast executives in support of workers.

"Comcast has challenged their employees' right to organize all over the country," the ad announced. "They've even turned a deaf ear to Senators, Congressmen and Mayors who've joined Comcast workers in asking for their right to bargain."

"It's time for Comcast to permit their employees that request a union a real choice in their future."

Listen to the entire ad at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwnwGz9SKGk

Download or print a copy of the newsletter:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/62618028/Comcast-Workers-United-newsletter-Aug-2011

CEO Brian Roberts Has An Employment Contract.....Why Shouldn't You Have One?

2011-07-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Click Here to read about CEO Roberts' Collective Bargaining Agreement

Comcast has recently NEGOTIATED a contract extension with CEO Brian Roberts, yet Brian Roberts refuses to negotiate with the Comcast employees.

CEO Brian Roberts enjoys the protections of a bargained for contract with his employer, yet as an employer he feels you should not have the same right.

Comcast RECOGNIZES it's executives right to bargain the terms of employment but has refused to RECOGNIZE their employee's wishes to do the same.

Fall River / Fairhaven technicians have simply asked to sit down and talk with Comcast. Simply to talk about the terms of employment. Just like Brian Roberts did.

Text of radio ad broadcast in Philadelphia on June 30 with link to audio

2011-06-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

Comcast VP David Cohen is hosting a $10,000 a plate fundraising dinner for Pres. Obama at his house in Philadelphia on June 30. IBEW is running a radio ad in Philadelphia with a strong message to Comcast in support of workers who have formed unions and requested to begin collective bargaining with management.

Use this link to hear the ad:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwnwGz9SKGk

Below is the script for the ad "Respect"

SFX: MUSIC UP OF PRESIDENTIAL FANFARE. UNDER…

VO: President Obama is coming to Philadelphia today for

a fundraiser thrown by the president of Comcast. Presumably, the Comcast executive is hosting the event because he shares the President's values…

SFX: MUSIC GRINDS TO A HALT…

SFX: Well, not exactly. You see, President Obama feels strongly that

companies shouldn't stop workers for organizing unions.

OBAMA: "I believe in unions," [he's said repeatedly.] "We should make it harder for companies to block unionization."

VO: Unfortunately, one of the companies blocking unionization at every turn is Comcast. They've challenged their employees' right to organize all over the country. They've even turned a deaf ear to Senators, Congressmen and Mayors who've joined Comcast workers in asking for their right to bargain.

It's time for Comcast to permit their employees that request a UNION a real choice in their future.

We agree with the choice for President.. It's time Comcast agreed with the President that Unions are good for our country's workers.

Paid for by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Comcast Workers United, June 2011 (IBEW Local 2322)

2011-06-22T20:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.scribd.com/doc/58517592/Comcast-Newsletter-June-2011

Management challenges authenticity of union letter to CEO Brian Roberts

On June 15 at the Fall River garage "all hands" meeting called by Kevin Riffe, local manager Arlene Fidalgo read a letter that was hand delivered to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts on May 11 at the company's annual shareholders meeting in Philadelphia. The letter asked Mr. Roberts to:

"Urge our managers … to sit down and talk with us about our wages and working conditions as soon as possible."

A copy of the letter is posted on the union bulletin board at comcastunion.blogspot.com.

We can only speculate why Comcast managers wanted Mr. Rife to read the letter aloud to employees. It must have been a decision that was made by the "higher ups" hoping that workers would react negatively to the request for meaningful discussions on our working conditions.

Of course some techs may have reacted that way. But the majority here in Fall River and Fairhaven signed union cards for just that purpose and nothing has changed.

The fact that Brian Roberts knows what is going on here -- and is taking it seriously -- shows that our voice is being heard at the highest levels of the company. And that is the power of being united in a union!!

Nine months: getting stronger

We proved our majority on September 24, 2010. Since then many of us have stepped up to keep our union together and make the best case we can for management to sit down and talk with us as a group.

And everyone – both union supporters and non-believers – will have to admit that our managers have been more attentive to our needs ever since we got organized.

No one has been fired or disciplined because of their union activity. In fact, union supporters have been mostly well treated by our local managers.

Let's face it: the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

"Who ever makes the rules wins the game"

Meanwhile, our fellow technicians in the Chicago South garage chose to follow the other path to achieve their collective bargaining rights.

The Chicago techs decided to do what the company has urged us to do: get a majority to sign union cards and then petition the NLRB to conduct a certification election. But while they waited for the union election, management used its well-established formula to scare, intimidate and cajole people to have second thoughts about forming a union.

The outcome of the vote in Chicago proves what we have been saying all along: union support went from a healthy 67 percent when they filed, to just 46 percent in the election.

Many of the Chicago techs feel that management's aggressive interference crossed the line. Management threatened techs by telling them they could not improve their conditions of work through collective bargaining – a flagrant unfair labor practice! IBEW Local 21 is considering filing charges with the NLRB. But now the vote is over and the damage is done.

Letter from Comcast Fall River and Fairhaven techs to CEO Brian Roberts

2011-06-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Why won't Comcast management talk about our wages and working conditions at the Fall River and Fairhaven garages?

May 11, 2011

Mr. Brian Roberts, CEO

Comcast Corporation

One Comcast Center

Philadelphia, PA 19103-2838

Dear Mr. Roberts,

Frustrated by a lack of respect from local management and without a meaningful voice in our work, the Comcast technicians at the Fall River and Fairhaven garages began organizing in the spring of 2010. By the fall of 2010, over 65 percent of the techs supported forming a union with IBEW Local 2322 in Southeastern Mass.

The National Labor Relations Act provides two routes for workers to achieve collective bargaining. Workers can gain certification based on a National Labor Relations Board-conducted secret ballot election or seek voluntary recognition from their employer based on reliable evidence of majority support.

Knowing the long history of aggressive interference by Comcast management in union elections, we chose to seek voluntary recognition.

On September 24, Congressman Stephen Lynch and Fall River Mayor William Flanagan counted our union authorization cards and certified that a strong majority of us desired to form a union and begin collective bargaining. The two elected officials informed Comcast of the card count and our union requested that management voluntary recognize the techs union and begin collective bargaining.

But so far local Comcast management has refused to sit down and talk.

Support for our cause is growing. Since the September 2010 card count, Congressmen Barney Frank, Jim McGovern, Bill Keating and Senator John Kerry have also urged Comcast to begin talks with us. Six towns on Martha's Vineyard, Cambridge, Springfield and Nahant have proposed new language in their franchise renewal agreements urging Comcast to respect workers' rights. And hundreds of our co-workers across the country have signed letters of solidarity and support for us.

A meaningful conversation between the techs in Southeastern Mass and our local Comcast managers is long overdue! We are writing hoping that you will urge our managers to take this approach and encourage them to sit down and talk with us about our wages and working conditions as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

The Comcast technicians from the Fall River and Fairhaven garages,

united in IBEW Local 2322

May 2011 Comcast Workers United newsletter

2011-05-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below to view or download the April 2011 Comcast Workers United newsletter. Please share widely!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/55764774/Comcast-Workers-United-Newsletter-May-2011

Customers and community leaders raise concerns about Comcast's respect for workers' rights

2011-05-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

Comcast's "Easy Pay" locations throughout Massachusetts were visited on May 11 by their customers and local community leaders concerned about the company's treatment of its employees and lack of respect for workers' rights.

Customers and community activists are disturbed about Comcast management's refusal to discuss wages and working conditions with the majority of workers at its Fairhaven and Fall River, Massachusetts garages who freely decided to form a union with IBEW Local 2322 last fall.

"The workers at these garages have exercised their basic rights to form a union and have requested that management begin good faith negotiations with them," said Eric Hetrick. "Giant corporations like Comcast should respect their civic and moral duty to comply with the law and our community's values."

The "day of action" coincided with Comcast's Annual Shareholders meeting in Philadelphia.

"While the top bosses are celebrating their huge profits in Philly, community leaders are delivering letters asking local managers to communicate our concerns," said Russ Davis, director of Massachusetts Jobs with Justice. "We need this company to respect workers' rights and begin negotiations for the good jobs that our communities need."

Jobs with Justice is one of the groups organizing visits to more than 45 Easy Pay locations in Massachusetts.

In many communities, community leaders have also been looking to include stronger workers' rights language in their city or town's next cable TV agreement with Comcast. Local city councils or boards of selectmen have passed resolutions calling for their cable franchise agreements to, "comply with the National Labor Relations Act and all applicable state and federal wage and hour laws." Cambridge, Springfield, Nahant and six towns on Martha's Vineyard have already done so.

Link to Jeff Santos's radio interview with Steve Smith - 05-06-11

2011-05-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

http://revolutionboston.com/podcast/2011-05/2324

Nahant board adds resolution attachment to Comcast contract, requests response

2011-05-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

By Cyrus Moulton / The Daily Item
WEEKEND EDITION: May 1, 2011

NAHANT - The Board of Selectmen voted to attach a resolution supporting Comcast workers’ unionization efforts — and requesting acknowledgement of the town’s support — to a signed contract rather than insert the language into the document, citing a desire to avoid reopening the long negotiation process.

“The contract has been negotiated over the last six to seven months and the resolution wasn’t placed in because it wasn’t negotiated,” said Board of Selectmen Chair Richard Lombard. “To add that in at the last minute would not be fair to Comcast...(But) I hope to receive a letter back saying they will look into this and that they know the Board of Selectmen of Nahant is in favor of this (resolution).

The town has completed negotiating to renew Comcast’s 10-year license to provide cable services for the town, Town Administrator Mark Cullinan explained. Members of The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) asked Selectmen at the Board’s March 24 meeting to adopt a resolution that Comcast abide by labor laws and respect its workers’ unionization efforts. At their April 7 meeting, selectmen Elaine Titus and Richard Lombard voted in favor of the resolution (Selectman Michael Manning was not in attendance) which has been adopted by the Cities of Cambridge and Springfield and many towns on Martha’s Vineyard.

But Town Counsel Charles Riley told Selectmen on Thursday night that inserting the language into the contract would require reopening the negotiations process. He added that sending the resolution as an attachment to the contract would be appropriate given that the contract was a service license not a labor contract.

“In the whole contract, there’s only one paragraph that refers to Comcast employees: it says they must have an I.D. Card when they perform services in Nahant,” noted Selectman Michael Manning.

Lombard said, however, that if Comcast did not reply to their concerns, the town could vote to reopen negotiations. “We want this cover letter to be serious,” he said, requesting that the language indicate that the Selectmen expected a written response from a Comcast official. “We can vote and go back in and put it in the contract. Town employees who are unionized do a fantastic job and I support the unions.” The board voted 2-1 in favor of attaching the resolution and requesting a response. Selectman Manning dissented.

“Part of the language implied that Comcast dealt unfairly with employees and I don’t know that’s true,” Manning explained after the meeting.

http://m.itemlive.com/articles/2011/04/29/news/news14.txt

Update on Comcast employment (Excerpted from SEC Form 10-K)

2011-04-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

<Excerpted from SEC Form 10-K>
Comcast Corporation 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K

<page 23>
Employees
As of December 31, 2010, we employed approximately 102,000 employees, including part-time employees. Of these employees, approximately 86,000 were associated with our Cable business and the remainder were associated with our Programming and other businesses. As of December 31, 2010, approximately 4,000 of our employees (including part-time employees) were covered by collective bargaining agreements or had organized but were not covered by collective bargaining agreements. We believe we have good relationships with our employees.

April 2011 Comcast Workers United newsletter

2011-04-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below to view or download the April 2011 Comcast Workers United newsletter. Please share widely!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/52885708/Comcast-Workers-United-Newsletter-April-2011

Another town adopts resolution supporting Comcast workers' rights

2011-04-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Nahant OKs resolution supporting Comcast workers’ rights

By Cyrus Moulton / The Daily Item

NAHANT - As they prepare to renew a 10-year contract with Comcast, selectmen approved a resolution supporting the collective bargaining rights of the telecommunication company’s employees.

“If we’re working with an entity such as Comcast, we need to be sure that they respect their workers,” said Selectman Lainey Titus. “This is not some obscure thing (we’re approving), this is the law.”

Members of the The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) asked selectmen at the board’s March 24 meeting to adopt a resolution that Comcast “comply with the National Labor Relations Act and all applicable State and Federal Wage and Hour Laws ... and encourage a healthy relationship with its employees by respecting their right to organize and to bargain collectively with their employer...”

Union members said that they were inspired by unionization efforts by Comcast workers in Fall River and Fairhaven that had been stymied by the company. IBEW Local 2222 Legislative Director Paul Feeney told Selectmen Thursday night that Comcast has increasingly used part-time subcontractors who may not have gone through the same training or adhere to the same safety standards as union employees. Local Nahant resident and Verizon employee Jack McCarthy agreed, saying that he has seen poor and sometimes dangerous work when he installs Verizon service to a former Comcast customer.

“Corner-cutting is not what you need,” McCarthy said.

Titus said that the resolution — which has been adopted by the cities of Cambridge and Springfield and many towns on Martha’s Vineyard — would be either inserted into the upcoming contract to be negotiated with Comcast or sent independently. Town Administrator Mark Cullinan said that a public hearing on the contract negotiations with Comcast will be held at the board’s next meeting.

Christine Dexter featured on the IBEW website

2011-04-05T21:03:00.000-07:00

Check out the article featuring Christine Dexter by visiting the IBEW website at:
http://www.ibew.org/articles/11daily/1104/110405_ComcastWorker.htm

At national Women's Forum, Comcast tech calls for management to negotiate with employees!

2011-03-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

More than a dozen women organizers joined U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Obama Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett for a national forum with women workers and organizers to share their stories of courageous organizing and action.

Women organizers gather at the forum.

Christine Dexter is in front row,

second from left.

The "Women Organize!" event was part of Women's History Month and commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire where146 workers were killed because of employer negligence. Just prior to the tragic fire, workers at Triangle Shirtwaist were trying to form a union to improve their working conditions.

A significant part of the DOL forum focused on what it's like for workers to form unions today.

Speakers included Ohio childcare provider Deanna Vizi, domestic worker Allison Julien, Wal-Mart cashier Ernestine Bassett, and T-Mobile Customer Service Rep Liliana Bequer.

At the end of the program, about a dozen women organizers took the stage with Solis to briefly describe how they were helping to unite their co-workers in new unions.

Among the group was Christine Dexter, a Comcast technician who represented her co-workers from the company's Fall River and Fairhaven garages. Christine has worked at Comcast for nine years and installs cable TV and internet hook ups for customers throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.

Christine Dexter and Secretary of

Labor Hilda Solis

Along with her co-workers, Dexter was able to help build majority support for forming a union with IBEW Local 2322 at the two Comcast garages. Now the techs are working to get management to recognize their union and begin collective bargaining to improve their wages and working conditions.

"As Comcast employees, we feel that we work for a great company," said Dexter. "And we want Comcast to recognize our union. We'd like the chance to sit down with management and begin collective bargaining for things that we believe can greatly help us. We're fighting for job security and most importantly, to have a voice in the workplace."

The entire "Women Organize!" event can be seen on the White House website at:

www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/03/28/white-house-forum-commemorating-women-s-history-month. Photos from the event are posted on Picasa at: https://picasaweb.google.com/randwilson.aflcio/WomenOrganize. And a short video of Christine Dexter speaking at the event is posted on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nRksNPtqiM.

While in Washington, Dexter met with top officials of the AFL-CIO and the IBEW. She also met with Congressman Barney Frank's labor liaison, Diego Sanchez.

For more updates about the Comcast workers union, visit the Comcast Union Bulletin Board at: http://comcastunion.blogspot.com

"Women Organize!" event featuring Christine Dexter will be streamed online

2011-03-25T14:30:00.000-07:00

Honoring the Legacy of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
On March 25, 1911, 146 garment workers – most of them young women and girls – died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City. After the fire, public pressure spurred critical and long overdue workplace safety reforms.

This compelling history highlights the critical need to ensure worker safety and labor standards for all workers – including a new generation of immigrant workers. It is also a story of women who were seeking to improve their workplaces and their lives by coming together to form a union.

100 years later, women still seek justice at work… and so they organize.

On March 28, 2011, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Valerie B. Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, will host a Women’s History Month forum with women workers and organizers sharing their stories of courageous action.

The event will be streamed live at 9:00 a.m. EDT, and may be viewed by visiting http://s.dol.gov/DP or http://whitehouse.gov/live

Christine Dexter to attend labor forum at White House!

2011-03-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis is hosting a forum in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire where146 workers were killed because of employer negligence. Just prior to the tragic fire, workers at Triangle Shirtwaist were trying to form a union to improve their working conditions.

A significant part of the DOL forum will focus on what it's like for workers to form unions today.

Christine Dexter with other Comcast techs at Rep. Barney Frank's office

Christine Dexter will represent Fall River and Fairhaven Comcast technicians at the DOL forum. She has worked as a technician at Comcast for nine years. She installs cable TV and internet hook ups for customers in Southeastern Massachusetts.

At the forum, Christine will describe why we formed a union and how management has refused to recognize our collective bargaining rights!

March 2011 Comcast Workers United newsletter

2011-03-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below to view or download the March 2011 Comcast Workers United newsletter. Please share widely!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/51184331/Comcast-Newsletter-March-2011

Comcast workers meet other telecom workers and elected officials at union breakfast

2011-03-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

Two Comcast techs from the Fall River garage attended a major union political event with hundreds of other Massachusetts telecom workers on March 6.

IBEW Local 2222's political breakfast is always a much anticipated event for union members and elected officials alike. This year's breakfast -- held at Dorchester's Florian Hall -- featured speeches by Representatives Steve Lynch and Bill Keating; Lieutenant Gov. Tim Murray and many other state and local elected officials.

At the breakfast, Comcast techs Brian Almeida and Dave Correia got to meet with many other union members and stewards. "It was a good opportunity to share our experience at Comcast and learn how Verizon union members deal with the same workplace issues we face," said Almeida.

Comcast Tech. Brian Almeida and

Verizon steward Jim Zulon

compare notes at the breakfast.

Comcast techs at the Fall River and Fairhaven garages are leading an initiative to begin talks with management about their wages and working conditions. However, despite proving that a strong majority of the workers want to collectively bargain for improvements, Comcast management is still refusing to discuss these issues with its employees.

The Comcast techs got a chance to meet a group of Verizon Business techs who succeeded in getting management to voluntarily recognize their union – exactly what the Comcast techs are seeking.

Dave Correia and Brian Almeida
with Rep. Bill Keating.

Over the course of the breakfast, the Comcast techs were also able to meet with many of the elected officials in attendance. "When people heard that Comcast management was still refusing to talk with us they were outraged," said Almeida. "It's really reassuring to get the support of so many other union members and our elected officials."

Other pictures of Brian Almeida and Dave Correia at the breakfast are on-line at: www.flickr.com/photos/46067326@N00/sets/72157626087075449/

The union political breakfast was organized by Local 2222's Committee on Political Education (COPE). The committee is chaired by Local 2222 member Brendan Keogh who works for Verizon.

Springfield adopts stronger workers' rights language for inclusion in future cable license with Comcast

2011-03-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

The Springfield City Council unanimously passed a resolution on March 7 supporting stronger workers' rights language in the city's next cable TV agreement with Comcast. The resolution calls on all businesses with city contracts to, "comply with the National Labor Relations Act and all applicable state and federal wage and hour laws."

The city's previous ten-year contract for cable and internet services expired on January 28, 2010.

The resolution also urged that all city contracts include language in their agreements to, "encourage a healthy relationship with its employees by respecting their right to organize and to bargain collectively with their employer, and to engage in other protected, concerted activities to improve their wages and working conditions."

The resolution was proposed by Ward 6 City Councilor Amaad Rivera. "Now more than ever during these tough economic times, we have to fight to protect the rights of working families," said Rivera. "I am proud to help lead that fight."

Springfield resident and IBEW Local 2324 Verizon technician member Brian Moran spoke forcefully in favor of the resolution. "This language will encourage Comcast to respect their employees' right to organize; to allow their employees to bargain collectively, and to respect worker's rights."

In addition to Moran, the city council meeting was also attended by IBEW Local 2324 Business Manager John Rowley, President Martin Feid, member Steven Thomas and IBEW organizers Steve Smith and Donald Cronin.

"With so many Comcast workers in Massachusetts seeking to form unions, this resolution should really give them more confidence," said IBEW organizer Steve Smith. There are about 20 Comcast garages in Massachusetts.

Similar workers' rights language has also been proposed by six towns on Martha's Vineyard and by the City of Cambridge.

Comcast techs in the Fall River and Fairhaven garages are leading an initiative to begin talks with management about their wages and working conditions. However, despite having proved that a strong majority want to collectively bargain for improvements, Comcast management is still refusing to discuss these issues with its employees.

To learn more about Comcast workers struggle for justice, visit their "Virtual Bulletin Board" where letters of support and other items of interest regarding the union are posted at: http://comcastunion.blogspot.com.

Mass AFL-CIO leader requests support from all union affiliates

2011-03-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

On February 16, Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Bob Haynes wrote to all of the state union affiliates requesting support for the Comcast techs in Southeastern MA.

"These workers need the help of their union brothers and sisters throughout the Commonwealth," Haynes wrote. "While Comcast may think they can ignore the will of their employees indefinitely, they cannot ignore their customers."

"On behalf of these courageous workers and IBEW Local 2322, I am asking you to send a letter to your membership urging them to fill out and return a pledge of support for the Comcast techs. Thank you in advance for your support of these hardworking Comcast techs who are fighting to gain the voice at work that our members thankfully enjoy."

For a copy of the AFL-CIO letter or the Customer pledge, contact contact IBEW Intl. Organizer DJ Cronin at (978) 434-7995.

Comcast workers join speak out for working families

2011-03-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

Comcast workers and other IBEW Local 2322 members attended a "speak out" at the Buttonwood Senior Center in New Bedford to urge elected representatives from Southeastern Massachusetts to support workers' rights and other sensible policies for working families.

One of the Comcast technicians told those in attendance, "All Comcast workers want to do is discuss our wages and working conditions with management. That's why we formed a union. Unfortunately, Comcast management refuses to talk with us. We need everyone's help – especially our elected officials – to bring Comcast to the table so that we have a voice in our future."

The March 2 speak out was sponsored by the Coalition for Social Justice and the Coalition Against Poverty.

Learn more about the Coalition for Social Justice by visiting: http://coalitionforsocialjustice.org

Comcast reports healthy profits; huge dividend increase for shareholders

2011-02-17T08:05:00.000-08:00

Comcast Q4 Profit Up; Lifts Annual Dividend By 19% - Quick Facts

2/16/2011 7:18 AM ET

http://www.rttnews.com/Content/QuickFacts.aspx?Id=1554206&SM=1

Comcast Corp.'s (CMCSA: News) fourth-quarter net income attributable to the company grew to $1.02 billion or $0.36 per share from $955 million or $0.33 per share last year.

Excluding NBCUniversal transaction-related costs, income tax benefits and other non-recurring items, fourth-quarter 2010 earnings per share rose 20.7% to $0.35 from $0.29 in the fourth quarter of 2009. On average, 20 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings per share of $0.32 for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude one-time items.

Revenue for the fourth quarter of 2010 increased 7.2% to $9.72 billion from $9.07 billion in the comparable period. Twenty-three analysts estimated revenues of $9.58 billion for the quarter.

Separately, Comcast announced that the company's planned annual dividend has increased 19% to $0.45 per share. In accordance with the increase, the board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.1125 a share on the company's common stock, payable on April 27, 2011 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on April 6, 2011.

Also, Comcast announced its intent to accelerate its share repurchases, and now expects to buy back the $2.1 billion remaining under its share repurchase authorization by the end of 2011.

IBEW national website features Cambridge City Council resolution

2011-02-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

The IBEW recently featured the Cambridge City Council's resolution to support inserting new workers' rights language in the new franchise agreement between the city and Comcast. In addition to Cambridge, six towns on Martha's Vineyard have also recommended similar language in their license renewals with Comcast.

Read the IBEW story here:
http://www.ibew.org/articles/11daily/1102/110210_WorkersRightsatComcast.htm

Comcast Workers Meet With Member of Governor's Cabinet; Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development

2011-02-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

“We have the support in our workplace, people signed the cards, we want to be in the union, we feel we have formed a union, yet Comcast still refuses to respect that and treat us as a union.”

That statement made by a Comcast technician from the Fall River / Fairhaven area was directed at the Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development, Joanne F. Goldstein at a meeting in her Boston office last week.

Comcast workers along with organizers from the IBEW and representatives of local 2322 and local 2222 met with Secretary Goldstein to discuss the recognition campaign in Comcast’s Fall River / Fairhaven locations. “Recognition, and a collective voice at work” the technicians answered when asked by Goldstein what their ultimate goal is with their recent campaign.

The lengthy discussion included the worker’s description of Comcast’s “Captive Audience Meetings” and anti-union tactics that were meant to intimidate the workers. IBEW Lead organizer Steve Smith spoke about the worker’s decision to seek recognition after watching what their colleagues went through at other Comcast locations during NLRB elections.

Secretary Goldstein reaffirmed her support of the workers and offered ongoing assistance in their fight to organize and collectively bargain. Also in attendance was a district aide of Senator John F. Kerry, a vocal supporter of the Fall River / Fairhaven technicians.

More news to come……Stay Tuned

Cambridge Proposes Language To Protect Workers In Comcast Franchise Agreement

2011-02-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Cambridge, MA -- The Cambridge City Council unanimously passed a resolution on January 31 supporting strong workers' rights language in the city's next cable TV agreement with Comcast. The resolution urges Comcast to, "comply with the National Labor Relations Act and all applicable state and federal wage and hour laws." The city's previous ten-year contract for cable and internet services expired on December 29, 2010.

The resolution also urged the city's Cable TV, Telecommunications and Public Utilities Committee to include language in the renegotiated agreement with Comcast to, "encourage a healthy relationship with its employees by respecting their right to organize and to bargain collectively with their employer, and to engage in other protected, concerted activities to improve their wages and working conditions."

The resolution was proposed by Councillors Marjorie Decker, Lelund Cheung and Timothy Toomey. "It's the minimum we can ask," said Councillor Cheung. "I know Comcast can afford it because they charge all of us too much." Cheung said the order addressed, "another aspect of the tyranny of Comcast that reigns in this city."

Cambridge resident and Verizon technician Glenn Dansker spoke forcefully in favor of the resolution. "I have worked for Verizon for 26 years and have always been grateful for the support I've received from my union, IBEW Local 2222. This language will encourage Comcast to respect their employees' right to organize; to allow their employees to bargain collectively, and to respect worker's rights."

"As a Comcast subscriber and Cambridge citizen, I am happy that the City Council adopted this policy. As Comcast workers fight for their rights, it is incumbent on cities and towns that contract with Comcast to encourage its management to negotiate fairly with workers by adopting similar policies. We need to use our strength as consumers to pressure Comcast to live up to both the letter and the spirit of the law," said Kara Smith, who is on the staff of the Cambridge-based Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.

"We don't want anyone in our community to live in fear," said Jennifer Doe, an organizer with Jobs with Justice, a community-labor coalition that has been supporting Comcast workers who are seeking to form unions at about 20 garages in Massachusetts. "This resolution will really give Comcast workers a boost!"

Comcast techs in the Fall River and Fairhaven garages are leading an initiative to begin talks with management about their wages and working conditions. However, despite having proved that a strong majority want to collectively bargain for improvements, Comcast management is still refusing to discuss these issues with its employees.

To learn more about Comcast workers struggle for justice, visit their "Virtual Bulletin Board" where letters of support and other items of interest regarding the union are posted at: http://comcastunion.blogspot.com. A copy of the Cambridge City Council resolution will be posted on the site as soon as it is available.

Watch a YouTube video showing support for the resolution at the City Council hearing is at this link: http://youtu.be/r-Dyno55fsE

Elected Officials and Aides Plan Next Steps To Support Comcast Workers

2011-01-24T14:23:00.000-08:00

Comcast workers from the Southeastern Mass FMA met with staff aides to United States Senator Scott Brown, Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. Jim McGovern, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch and Rep. William Keating in Frank's district office to plan next steps to win justice for Comcast workers.

The aides were joined by Fall River mayor William Flanagan as well as a senior staffer from New Bedford mayor Scott Lang's office.

Comcast techs who are leading the union initiative briefed everyone about the situation at the Fall River and Fairhaven garages. They articulated the point that, despite having proved a majority, comcast management is still refusing to meet and discuss wages and working conditions.

The congressional and municipal aides made plans to step-up pressure on local management from federal, state and local elected officials.

Also in attendance were delegates from the Southeastern Mass. Central Labor Council, leaders from IBEW Local 2322 and Local 2222, as well as organizers from the IBEW.

Welcome To The "Virtual Bulletin Board" For Comcast Workers In Massachusetts

2011-01-17T18:51:00.000-08:00

This space is a "Virtual Bulletin Board" for the Comcast workers that have formed a union in Southeastern Massachusetts.

By a clear majority, Comcast technicians in 2 locations (Fall River / Fairhaven) signified their intent to organize a union by signing cards authorizing IBEW local 2322 to begin collective bargaining with Comcast. Comcast has refused to recognize the will of their own workers and has responded in writing that they will not bargain with their representative, Local 2322.

Support from workers, elected officials, labor unions and community leaders has been overwhelming in the months since the signatures were verified and counted by US Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-9th CD) and Mayor Wil Flanagan (Fall River). This space will highlight those letters of support as well as other items of interest as public pressure mounts for Comcast to do the right thing and voluntarily recognize the union that their workers have already formed.

For more information or to become a supporter: Call IBEW organizer Steve Smith @ 978.302.3690 or email: Smithhousem@aol.com