Local elected officials demand Charter negotiate with IBEW Local 3
Queens politicians are standing up for a Flushing-based union.
Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest), state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing) and state Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz (D-Flushing) wrote a letter to Charter Communications CEO Thomas Rutledge, demanding Charter negotiate fairly with Local Union #3 International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers.
The union went on strike March 28, saying it wanted a new contract that did not undermine members’ health care, retirement and security. The more than 1,800 union workers had been working without a contract since 2013. Charter has proposed eliminating crucial benefits like pension contributions, overtime pay on weekends and the company’s 401k, according to local officials.
Charter Communications acquired Time Warner Cable last year, making it the second largest Internet provider in New York, with 2.5 million subscribers. The state attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit against Spectrum,Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications, for defrauding customers by failing to deliver promised Internet speeds. The AG’s office concluded that executives knew that networks were incapable of delivering speeds promised to subscribers.
According to the elected officials, Charter placed the blame on Local 3 technicians, even disciplining technicians over repeat service calls to customers who were unable to get Internet speeds they paid for.
Read more: http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2017/15/local3workers_2017_04_14_q.html