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Adelphia Workers End Morgantown Strike, Continue to Pursue Contract
As CWA units continued to mobilize for fair contracts throughout the Adelphia system, 42 workers ended their strike against the company in Morgantown, W.Va.
With the livelihoods of local families at risk because of Adelphia's threat to hire permanent replacement workers beginning June 10, Local 2204 President Ron Gaskins reluctantly advised his members to report for work the following morning, ending a valiant three-week strike that won a groundswell of support from the labor movement, customers and community leaders.
"It takes extraordinary courage to do what you have done," said CWA President Morton Bahr, commending the strikers and relating his own experience of returning to work after a 90-day strike and decertification in 1948 at MacKay Radio. It took six years of internal organizing, but CWA ultimately prevailed there, he said.
All workers have been returned to their jobs, Gaskins said, though the company has shifted some work to a call center and brought in four non-union technicians, changing the ratio of union support in the bargaining unit. He met with company officials on June 13, but said the company has refused to set new bargaining dates
The Morgantown workers went on strike May 22, following a frustrating seven months of attempting to bargain a fair contract. They have been denied raises given to Adelphia workers at the company's non-union Ashland, Ky., location, and their binding arbitration, just cause for discipline and current level of health benefits have been threatened in negotiations.
CWA ran radio and print ads calling attention to Adelphia's big payments of $41 million to two top executives while claiming it had no money for raises.
The National Labor Relations Board is investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by CWA over intimidation by Adelphia supervisors and illegal promises to get workers to break the strike, Gaskins said.
Hundreds of local customers and local residents voted their support for the strike in a local radio poll, and Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va) wrote to the company, seeking a resolution to the strike favorable for the workers. Gaskins said community support for the union remains strong.
"On behalf of the members, the job stewards, the officers and myself, I want to thank everyone who has supported this group through this struggle," he said.
With the livelihoods of local families at risk because of Adelphia's threat to hire permanent replacement workers beginning June 10, Local 2204 President Ron Gaskins reluctantly advised his members to report for work the following morning, ending a valiant three-week strike that won a groundswell of support from the labor movement, customers and community leaders.
"It takes extraordinary courage to do what you have done," said CWA President Morton Bahr, commending the strikers and relating his own experience of returning to work after a 90-day strike and decertification in 1948 at MacKay Radio. It took six years of internal organizing, but CWA ultimately prevailed there, he said.
All workers have been returned to their jobs, Gaskins said, though the company has shifted some work to a call center and brought in four non-union technicians, changing the ratio of union support in the bargaining unit. He met with company officials on June 13, but said the company has refused to set new bargaining dates
The Morgantown workers went on strike May 22, following a frustrating seven months of attempting to bargain a fair contract. They have been denied raises given to Adelphia workers at the company's non-union Ashland, Ky., location, and their binding arbitration, just cause for discipline and current level of health benefits have been threatened in negotiations.
CWA ran radio and print ads calling attention to Adelphia's big payments of $41 million to two top executives while claiming it had no money for raises.
The National Labor Relations Board is investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by CWA over intimidation by Adelphia supervisors and illegal promises to get workers to break the strike, Gaskins said.
Hundreds of local customers and local residents voted their support for the strike in a local radio poll, and Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va) wrote to the company, seeking a resolution to the strike favorable for the workers. Gaskins said community support for the union remains strong.
"On behalf of the members, the job stewards, the officers and myself, I want to thank everyone who has supported this group through this struggle," he said.