{"id":44,"date":"2017-08-10T17:06:58","date_gmt":"2017-08-10T17:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projects.nyujournalism.org\/10amnews\/?p=44"},"modified":"2017-08-10T18:11:49","modified_gmt":"2017-08-10T18:11:49","slug":"spectrum-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/projects.nyujournalism.org\/10amnews\/2017\/08\/10\/spectrum-strike\/","title":{"rendered":"Technicians Strike Against Spectrum"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Chenyi Zhao<\/em><\/p>\n

Spectrum technicians have been on strike for more than 130 days, as of August 8.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want money. We just want our pensions and medical plan back,\u201d said the strike captain on Broadway and East 4th Street, on behalf of the idled technicians.<\/p>\n

Local Union 3 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, representing 1,800 employees of Charter Communications\/Spectrum, has been on strike since March 28 against alleged unfair labor practices.<\/p>\n

Spectrum is a TV, internet and phone services provider. It is owned by Charter Communications, which merged with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks in 2016.<\/p>\n

Several negotiation sessions have been held. In one of the recent negotiations, Charter offered \u201can 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,\u201d according to a Charter spokesperson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis 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,\u201d the spokesman said.<\/p>\n

The union and Charter met again for negotiations on August 7, accompanied by a federal mediator. According to the union, the company refused to negotiate pensions and medical coverage. The company said that they do not comment on the details of the negotiation.<\/p>\n

The workers will stay on strike until they get the union pensions and health care back. IBEW Local 3 business manager Chris Erickson said in a LaborPress broadcast that the company offered more money than the union was asking for, but the union members would lose medical benefits and the union pension fund.<\/p>\n

A personal injury attorney for workers, Neil Kalra, said, \u201cit\u2019s the uncertainty that they have to deal with for the rest of their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

The union has been advocating members reject to Spectrum\u2019s offer. One post in the official union blog NYCableTruth said, \u201cdo the right thing and just say no to modern day slavery and corporate greed!\u201d<\/p>\n

The members will vote on whether getting back to Spectrum if the union reaches a consensus with Spectrum, according to the strike captain Robert Kersten.<\/p>\n

A member picketing the Spectrum payment center on East 8th Street said that people had to get jobs elsewhere, so the number of workers protesting on a daily basis has been declining.<\/p>\n

The union business manager Erickson said in the broadcast, \u201cI believe [Charter\/Spectrum] is trying to starve our members into submission here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Spectrum protesters are gathering at W 219th St. They are holding a memorial for a recently deceased union member as well as picketing in front of a Spectrum garage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The union said that workers had been working without a proper contract since 2013, but the Charter spokesperson said that they were working under a contract that expired March 31 this year.<\/p>\n

They chose to go on strike March 28, two days before the contract expired, Charter said. Kerston responded that the contract was not agreed by the union.<\/p>\n

The union also said Spectrum “disciplined its technicians over repeat service calls …over unobtainable WiFi internet speeds,” and “does not provide proper training or promotions to its technicians.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Charter spokesman said that the claims had no basis.<\/p>\n

One post on the blog said, \u201cCharter\/Spectrum is not willing to bargain in good faith.\u201d The Charter spokesman said that Charter is ready to negotiate at any time.<\/p>\n

Spectrum Lawsuit<\/b><\/h5>\n

New York State Attorney General on behalf of 5 million customers announced a lawsuit on February 1 against Charter Communications\/Spectrum for allegedly misleading customers by promising high-speed internet service that was knowingly inaccessible, according to the Attorney General\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe allegations in today\u2019s lawsuit confirm what millions of New Yorkers have long suspected — Spectrum-Time Warner Cable has been ripping you off,\u201d said New York State\u00a0Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.<\/p>\n

A 16-month investigation by the Attorney General\u2019s office indicated that the wired internet speed of the subscribers was up to 70% lower than advertised, with WiFi speed up to 80% lower, according to Schneiderman.<\/p>\n

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A screenshot of the New York State Attorney General Schneiderman announcing the lawsuit against Charter Communications\/Spectrum for allegedly misleading customers.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The complaint also accused Spectrum of failing to upgrade the internet provider\u2019s network capacity and replace large numbers of deficient modems and wireless routers, the Attorney General said.<\/p>\n

The spokesman of Spectrum said, \u201cCharter has already made substantial investments in the interest of upgrading the Time Warner Cable systems and delivering the best possible experience to customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spectrum provides approximately 2.5 million subscribers with Internet services in New York State, and the complaint covers the subscription of almost 5 million people in the relevant period, Schneiderman said during a press conference earlier this year.<\/p>\n

The company said in their official statement that the internet speed advertisements \u201coccurred prior to Charter\u2019s merger.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Attorney General said in his press conference, \u201cthe name of the company may have changed from Time Warner to Spectrum but the company has not changed its pattern of providing slower speeds than advertised.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will continue to invest in our business and deliver the highest quality services to our customers while we defend against these allegations involving Time Warner Cable practice,\u201d the company\u2019s spokesman said.<\/p>\n

On the Picket Line<\/b><\/h5>\n

Whistles and trumpets blown, flags and fliers waved. The Spectrum protesters were trying to grab attentions from passers-by.<\/p>\n

There are 14 picket locations in NYC and 1 garage in Bergen, N.J., according to one of the captains, Robert Kersten. All these are near a Spectrum payment or storage center. In the past three weeks, the union held about two rallies every week in a chosen location to get the scattered picketers together in one place.<\/p>\n

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The picketers are gathering in front of a Spectrum garage, where the deceased technician used to work for decades.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The strikers are doing more than picketing. Picketers handed out flyers in front of the doors of Spectrum payment centers and asked people to support their strike.<\/p>\n

On East 8th Street, the picketers grabbed a visitor\u2019s attention. Several hesitating new comers came to the picket line to get more information about the company and services.<\/p>\n

The fliers that strikers handed out said that Spectrum had been using subcontractors and warned customers to demand Spectrum\u2019s own technicians for customer service.<\/p>\n

Spectrum\u2019s spokesman said that it is impossible to use the company\u2019s own technicians if they are all on strike.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n