Organizing Roundtable Presentation on Massachusetts Comcast Victory

7/30/2019 Organizing Roundtable Presentation on Massachusetts Comcast Victory

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Comcast workers' campaign for union

recognition and a voice at workOrganizing Roun dtable, May 13, 2013

Overview of Comcast:Number of employees (US and Mass)Number of facilities (US and Mass)

Why organizing at Comcast is strategically important for all telecom workersHistory of organizing (and collective bargaining) at Comcast

Overview of the Massachusetts campaign

before 2008

after 2008

Organizing at Fall River and Fairhaven

Building majority support (signing folks up)

Deciding to by-pass board election (majority card check & recognition campaign)

First election campaign (December 2011

Second election campaign (April 2013)

Campaigns at other locations (Beverly, etc.)

Bargaining strategies to win first contract

Inside pressure from employees at Fall River and Fairhaven garages Pressure from other unionized Comcast groups

Continuing to build support from workers at other Comcast garages statewide

HandoutsComcast Overview"Drive to unionize Comcast: IBEW begins statewide campaign"Boston Herald8 companies that most owe workers a raise (USA Today)Southeastern Mass. techs win union and collective bargaining rights at Comcast!


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Overview

Comcast is the largest cable provider in the United States. Comcast has more than 24 millionsubscribers and provides television, Internet, and digital phone services in 39 states and theDistrict of Columbia. Comcast has about 107,000 employees nationwide.

Comcast has a significant market share and serves approximately 24 percent of multichannelvideo customers nationwide. In the areas in which Comcast operates, 46 percent of homespassed subscribe to Comcast's video services, 31.4 percent subscribe to Comcast's internetservices, and 15.7 percent subscribe to its phone services. Growth of both Comcast's Internet andtelephone has been significant; in 2005, it had just 8.1 million Internet customers and 1.2 millionphone customers. By 2009, it had 15.9 million Internet and 7.6 million phone customers.

In addition to content distribution, Comcast is also heavily involved in the media andprogramming business. In 2011, Comcast took control of NBC Universal. The total value of thenew venture is approximately $30 billion.

Comcast's recent financial reports show persistent revenue growthalthough at lower rates

solid operating income, good cash flow from operations, and growing profit margins. Althoughthe company has poor liquidity, overall, it has good debt management.

Comcast's stock price growth has exceeded that of the S&P 500. Financial measures show goodpotential for future stock value growth.Source: Comcast Corporation Bargaining Brief, IBEW Research Dept. July, 2010

Comcast Union buster

According to "No Bargain: Comcast and the Future of Workers' Rights in Telecommunications:"

In the greater Chicago area, Comcast managers moved 195 jobs from a union-representedfacility to non-union locations. In Dallas, Comcast management moved 100 jobs. A total of125 jobs were moved in Detroit.

In Pittsburgh, the NLRB issued a complaint against Comcast for illegal behavior thatallegedly occurred the month before decertification elections at several worksites.

In Salt Lake City, Comcast gave a market increase in pay to all employees except those whowere in union-represented bargaining units. The union filed Unfair Labor Practice charges,and the NLRB issued a complaint against Comcast.

In the metropolitan Washington, DC area, the NLRB received six Unfair Labor Practicecharges against Comcast for terminating five employees and discriminating against one forunion activity.

Source:http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/dmdocuments/ARAWReports/NoBargain.pdf

Comcast Mass. Garage Locations and Approximate # of Technicians

Needham 12South Boston 100Weymouth 18Winchester 100Beverly 100Lawrence 100North Reading 100

Westford 100Fairhaven 50Fall River 50Norwell 100Plymouth 100Pocasset 25So. Yarmouth 60

Taunton 100Northampton 30Westfield 100Hudson 20Leominster 80Natick 10

Total 1,445
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/dmdocuments/ARAWReports/NoBargain.pdfhttp://www.americanrightsatwork.org/dmdocuments/ARAWReports/NoBargain.pdfhttp://www.americanrightsatwork.org/dmdocuments/ARAWReports/NoBargain.pdfhttp://www.americanrightsatwork.org/dmdocuments/ARAWReports/NoBargain.pdf


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Comcast Workers UnitedNews from IBEW Local 2322 www.ibew2322.com April 26, 2013

Southeastern Mass. techs win union and collective

bargaining rights at Comcast!

Fall River, MA -- Comcast technicians at the Fall River and Fairhaven Massachusetts garageshave been working together for over two years to win union recognition and the right to sit downwith management to discuss improving their wages and working conditions.

The techs lost their first NLRB union election in December 2011. With one election behindthem, the techs in Southeastern Mass. knew what to expect the second time around. Comcast'suse of contractors and changes in technology gave them the determination to stay the course.

The techs waited more than a year after their first vote to regroup and rebuild their strength.Then they quickly signed up their co-workers for a second election. Management was stunnedwhen they got notification from the NLRB.

And management was even more shocked when a second garage in Beverly, Mass. alsopetitioned the NLRB for an election!

As in the first union election, Comcast management tried to use its near complete access toemployees and its power over their work lives to chip away at their confidence. But this time thegroup stuck together and they were not swayed by the misinformation about unions and pleas for

a "second chance" to fix problems without a "third party."

When the vote finally took place on April 24, the Comcast workers won their election 49 to 42.It is the first union victory for Comcast workers in Massachusetts. The pending election inBeverly is scheduled for May 8.

"The techs from Fall River and Fairhaven have shown that they have the right stuff," said IBEWorganizer Steve Smith. "They learned from their previous experience and this time they knewwhat it would take to win. Now the important part begins: winning a first contract. We arecounting on the support from all Comcast union members and the communities in SoutheasternMass. where these workers live to build the support we need to win a good agreement."

For updates about the Comcast workers union, visit the Comcast Un ion Bul letin Board at:

http://comcastunion.blogspot.comor cal l (978) 302-3690.
http://comcastunion.blogspot.com/http://comcastunion.blogspot.com/http://comcastunion.blogspot.com/


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Documents

Organizing Roundtable Presentation on Massachusetts Comcast Victory