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June 16, 2005

When the abolitionist preacher Henry Ward Beecher said that "defeat is a school in which truth always grows strong," he could have been speaking about two recent organizing campaigns at Comcast in New Jersey.

In Union Township, a potential unit of 184 cable workers voted 101 to 76 against unionization. In Eatontown, a potential unit of 50, the union lost 33 to 15.

Despite these losses, IBEW organizers and their supporters said that the union's educational efforts during the campaigns have left workers more empowered to improve their situation at the cable giant.

Bill Laing, IBEW's lead organizer and member of East Windsor, New Jersey Local 827, says that Comcast now knows that, among their workers in Union Township and Eatontown, is a strong group that stayed focused on important issues.

He states that, while Comcast engaged in its "usual tactics" of innuendo and allowed some incorrect perceptions of unions to flourish among the workforce, they didn't succeed in "demonizing" the union.

Working with Local 827 volunteer organizer Dan Mann, Laing held weekly meetings with workers from the two shops. He says, "We gave them written materials, signed by the IBEW, unlike Comcast, which refused to put anything in writing."

Laing credits Local 827's Business Manager/President and Financial Secretary Dominic Turdo for his support of the campaign, even when "non-traditional" tactics were utilized. To keep workers informed, a Website, www.wlaing.com was established. The site will continue to be updated for Comcast workers.

Comcast's workers can greatly influence the future of the two shops, says Laing. He encourages them to "continue to respect all workers opinions and rights on a going forward basis." "We are all workers, with one goal," he continues. "That is to improve the lot of ourselves and our families to the best extent we can. We can only do that if we work together to improve the company we work for and make sure we have a job tomorrow. Only a successful company employs people."

A report on the Web site, following the union vote, says: "In the next few weeks, Comcast management will want to sit and discuss workplace issues with you." The site encourages workers to use their newfound knowledge on pensions, safety, family and medical leave and labor standards to their advantage.

Laing cautions, " I hate to be the one to 'find the hair in the egg', but remember anything and everything that is resolved can be changed at anytime, with or without notice and cannot be considered a contract."