Frustration mounts for striking Charter/Spectrum employees, four months since union walkout

July 20, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Electrical Workers Local Union No. 3 members picket in front of the Spectrum (Time Warner Cable) building in Sunset Park. Eagle photo by John Alexander

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A battle between Time-Warner and Charter/Spectrum employees is just a week away from beginning its 5th month, and no relief for cable workers still on strike in Brooklyn is in sight.

Negotiations over the last several months have been fruitless as Charter/Spectrum employees continue to march outside the Time-Warner building in Sunset Park. Since March 28, the employees, represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union 3, have been trying to negotiate a new contract. Charter Communications bought Time Warner Cable (TWC) for $55 billion in May, 2015 and renamed it Spectrum.

According to one union striker, their temporary non-union replacements are so inefficient that it could take them hours to fix something that should take ten minutes to repair.

The seemingly irresolvable conflict between employment continues to rear its ugly head on the Brooklyn streets of Sunset Park. Both sides have dug their heels into the ground and are refusing to make any concessions. While Sunset Park residents may not know much about it, it has nonetheless forced local politicians to take a stance.

Just last week, a Queens Spectrum worker was arrested but then freed, according to the New York Post, after an investigation of a cable outage that police reportedly claimed was an act of vandalism. That striking union Spectrum cable worker was charged with criminal mischief, but the case was dismissed pending further investigation.

The Post reported that Michael Tove, of Wantagh, L.I. was caught on a surveillance camera on June 26 allegedly cutting multiple cables on a transmission line at a Queens Spectrum facility, causing a massive cable outage across Queens and $67,000 in damages, according to the Post.

“Charter is offering Local 3 a generous compensation package that includes an average 22-percent wage increase — some employees up to a 55-percent wage increase — and comprehensive retirement and health benefits, including a 401(k) that provides a dollar-for-dollar match up to 6 percent of eligible pay,” according to charter spokesperson John Bonomo. “This competitive offer will have a positive, lasting impact on employees’ standard of living and allows us to grow a well-paid, highly skilled workforce for the benefit of our customers.”

Derek Jordan, business representative for Local Union 3, told the Brooklyn Eagle that he is not happy with Charter’s offer.

“Our members have been on strike now for 113 days,” Jordan said. “They are hurting along with their families, but they are still holding strong against Charter/Spectrum and corporate greed. The company offered what they called their best, last, and final offer.”

Jordan went on, railing against Charter/Spectrum’s negotiation tactics.

“We all know what it should be called. This is Union Busting!!” he said. “There is continued support from the CLC [Central Labor Council], NYC Councilmembers, the Mayor’s office, NY State Assemblymembers and local communities. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers throughout the U.S. are also supporting our efforts here in New York.”

A new development is that the workers are being offered temporary union jobs while on strike.

“Local #3 will be providing temporary work for members who are on strike. Some members have already found temp jobs and others are collecting unemployment benefits,” explained Jordan. “Our members continue to spread the message about the strike through social media and other platforms. Only negative news targeted towards our members appears on TV and none of it is true.”

Jordan said that local media has mainly viewed and reported the union side in a negative light. Richard Trumka, the national president of the AFL-CIO, which boasts 12.5 million members, according to the organization’s website.

“Screwing over workers and customers seems to be a hallmark of Charter Communications’ business model,” Trumka said in a statement provided by Jordan. “Charter has disrespected workers in New York who remain on strike fighting for the freedom to negotiate together to maintain their pensions and health benefits. They also continue to disregard their customers’ needs by hiking rates while providing subpar service. This is not the way to run a company, and we support all the working people standing up to these corporate bullies.”

NYC Public Advocate Letitia James has been actively working to resolve the situation between the cable workers and Charter/Spectrum. In April, she wrote a letter to Tom Rutledge, the president and CEO of Charter Communications, as the Eagle previously reported, that was endorsed by 33 NYC councilmembers.

Regarding the ongoing walkout, James told the Eagle, “The workers of IBEW Local 3 represent the heart of our great city and deserve fair wages, strong benefits, and a healthy pension fund. When New York agreed to this acquisition, ensuring that employees were treated fairly while maintaining high quality of service for customers was part of the deal.”

Councilmember Vincent Gentile was one of the first councilmembers to endorse and sign James’ letter, and expressed his frustration with how long the situation has been going on.

“The 1,800 employees represented by IBEW Local 3 have been working under an expired agreement since March 28. To have them continue to have to deal with this situation is inexcusable,” Gentile told the Eagle. “I am calling on Charter Communications/Spectrum to come to the table in good faith and end their attempts to slash the benefits that their hard-working employees so desperately need and deserve. I have joined in support of IBEW Local 3 before, and I plan on continuing to show my support on the front line of this fight; on the picket line.”

With the Charter-Spectrum walkout nearing its fifth month, both sides are suffering. The union workers have mainly lost employment, while Charter/Spectrum is without its best workers, impacting its many customers around the city. A fair resolution would be welcome as this prolonged impasse wages on.