Related Articles

Comcast Workers Choose IBEW Local 827

March 1, 2010

After a difficult organizing campaign filled with management misrepresentations and attempted union busting, Comcast technicians in Fairfield, N.J., elected to be represented by the IBEW.

The NLRB-administered vote Feb. 25 and 26 signals a sea change in the way the company’s installation repair technicians are standing up for their rights on the job, said East Windsor Local 827 Organizing Chair Jason D’Errico:

The win is groundbreaking for these workers. This is their first step towards gaining a collective bargaining agreement. The Comcast workers have stood strong against this multibillion-dollar giant.

International President Edwin D. Hill looks forward to a solid working relationship with the company, anticipating that the upcoming telecom Code of Excellence training will help send the message that the 70-person unit is committed to displaying continued professionalism on the job:

Hopefully this victory will open the door for a better understanding between the IBEW and Comcast and a new approach using the Code of Excellence as a format for a better working atmosphere for our current and future members.

Union leaders say this latest win will likely have a ripple effect, setting a precedent for future efforts. IBEW Telecommunications Director Martha Pultar said this is a good sign for the prospects of more than a dozen other Comcast campaigns from New England to Washington and Oregon:

It shows how much can be accomplished when workers stick together.

Local 827 represents more than 7,000 employees at various companies throughout the state, including Verizon, AT&T, Avaya and others. The local also represents Comcast workers at Pleasantville and Toms River.

President Hill praised the local’s efforts and the courage of the new members:

This victory is another example of how the union movement ensures that more and more hardworking Americans maintain footing in this slippery economic climate. The stronger our numbers, the better we can advocate for working men and women in this ever-changing industry.

Comcast is the largest cable provider in the nation.

For more information on the ongoing Comcast campaign, click here.

Photo used under a Creative Commons License from Flickr user nsfmc.

.