Comcast News and Bargaining Updates

Bargaining resumed for the Cortland facility on Wednesday May 30, 2007. The company did come to the table to bargain or so we thought. A more accurate statement would be they came to regressively bargain. The Company increased its ridiculous 2% wage proposal to an insulting 2.25%.

The Union and company did agree to have 4 stewards at the Cortland garage. The company wanted to save face and withdrew its previous regressive proposals on hours of work and the deletion of leave of absence language.

Before the company left it questioned the union if it was going to be available to bargain on Thursday. The union informed the company once again it was always ready to bargain.

On Wednesday evening a meeting was held at the 134 hall in downtown Chicago. Members showed up to hear where we were in negotiations and to take a strike vote! This hotline hopes the company is listening, the workers have expressed that they want this company to succeed and they want their fair share. The workers voted over 95% to authorize the union to strike, as one member put it “we can make more per hour at McDonalds and get some free food”. Comcast You should be embarrassed.

Bargaining resumed May 31, 2007 with the company coming in contending the union won’t move off its proposal on wages and that the company wanted to get this contract done. What a joke this Union busting low road predatory company wants the union to engage or agree to unfair wages for its workers. Your bargaining committee rejected the company’s proposal and challenged them to think about these workers and come back with equitable wages.

As workers challenged tech ops manager Keith Stephens on the embarrassing wage offer of 2.25% the hired goon wouldn’t let Keith speak, but his unwillingness to look his workers in the eyes and his body language said it all. It is amazing for a man who was nominated for manager of the year to be a quiet as a church mouse.

OUR UNION REFUSES TO TAKE ANYTHING LESS than equitable wages, Comcast has enjoyed the fruits of our workers labor and robbing from our families for years and it is time to pay the piper. Remember folks Comcast created this mess 2 years ago make no mistake about it. Comcast chooses to pay you as second class citizens. FOLKS THE HOUSE OF CARDS IS ABOUT TO FALL. The company walked away from the table at 1pm as the union requested to meet all night, everyday, thru the weekend. The company wasn’t interested they only wanted to meet on Tuesday June 5th and try to have something for the union.

Check out today’s Chicago Sun-times as the truth is being heard about this company. Wake up Comcast!

As stated before Brothers and Sisters in the Cortland facility or if you live in the city of Chicago, it is imperative that you talk to your alderman demanding a hearing over this injustice as stated in the Chicago Sun-times article. Take your alderman a copy of the news article. Take them a complaint packet. Follow up with those who have the information, this is our future we need to stand and tell them we are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore. Let them know that you want them to support immediate hearings on the complaint filed by your union. See a Steward or bargaining committee member for more Information.

If you live in Chicago and have not received a packet for your alderman please contact your union representative immediately. You can call Jerry at 630-222-9100 or Kevin 630 399-6512

In other news around the local - at the west garages, the company is still dragging its feet on signing the new contract; the union has been waiting for a response from the company for over 60 days. We compel each member to challenge your supervisor as to why the company has not signed. The union is filing charges with the National Labor Relations Board for unfair labor practice on this issue.

Members in the Merrillville shops have been getting disciplined for high repeats some of which are out of their control. Management doesn't seem to care what the reason for the repeat is they just want to issue discipline. The Union is looking into the issue.

Our Union wants ALL members in all shops to protect themselves against repeats. Do your job safely and follow all company practices when doing your job. Go to whatever means necessary to avoid a customer repeat. The customer is number one. They pay exorbitant rates to Comcast - give them the service they expect. Remember Safety First - Quality Second - and the rest doesn't really matter.

Brothers and Sisters we cannot afford any longer for all of us in all of our garages not to get involved. Talk to your co-workers, talk to your stewards. Pay attention to your union boards. Get involved YOUR FUTURE IS IN YOUR HANDS!

Solidarity!