IBEW Local Wins First Contract At
Chicago Comcast Unit
June 12, 2005
After waging a battle against its employees, Comcast finally signed an agreement with IBEW Local 21 covering 45 members working at the Irving Park-Chicago location. The members ratified their historic first Comcast contract on May 17.
Since 1999, Irving Park members have been facing upheaval as the cable industry has morphed into the broadband telecommunications industry. They are now working for their third employer.
Prime Cable was purchased by AT&T Broadband and shortly thereafter sold to Comcast. Comcast thought they would be able to accomplish what the previous employers couldn’t - bust the union and the spirit of IBEW brothers and sisters. The membership held strong, believing that an agreement could one day be reached.
That day has arrived. The two-year contract offers stronger contact language and first-year wage increases ranging from 2.5% to 16%, depending on the member's job title. The new agreement includes a more effective grievance and arbitration procedure, job security and contracting out language, work jurisdiction language covering all broadband services, and a successor clause which binds any new employer to the terms of the agreement. In addition, the members won vacation scheduling improvements and provisions for fairer distribution of work and overtime opportunities.
Contract negotiations are ongoing between the IBEW and Comcast at the former Jones unit in the western suburbs of Chicago and in Merrillville, Indiana.
Both unit have been without new contracts since 1999.
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