Comcast Shareholders Urged to Support Workplace, Corporate Democracy

CWA told Comcast Corp. shareholders at the company's annual meeting in Philadelphia that Comcast was treating them as badly as it treated workers who wanted a union voice.

CWA Local 6150 President Larry Ihfe attended the meeting with three Comcast employees from Farmers Branch, Tex., near Dallas. The workers had voted for CWA representation nearly a year ago but Comcast is dragging its feet in bargaining.

"We finally got Comcast to the bargaining table in November, but the company is refusing to respond to our proposals. In fact, one Comcast official actually told us that the company has no intention of reaching a contract settlement before the operations are shifted to Time Warner this summer. That's not good faith bargaining, that's a disgrace," Ihfe told shareholders.

But Comcast isn't treating its shareholders much better, Ihfe said.

He asked shareholders to support a CWA-sponsored proposal that called for a "one-share-one-vote" structure for all Comcast outstanding stock. "This is the basis of good governance and democracy in the United States, but Comcast doesn't see things this way," he said. Ihfe pointed out that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts owns just slightly more than 1 percent of shares outstanding, but holds one-third of the voting power. "This means shareholders who are taking the actual investment risk have their vote diluted by CEO Roberts," he noted.

Ihfe also called on shareholders to stand with workers who want fairness from their company, and told them that the three Farmers Branch employees with him were taking a big risk, given Comcast's track record for harassing and firing union supporters. "Let Comcast know that you support fair treatment for employees," he urged.

Fairness was the theme of a candlelight vigil held the evening before the meeting, sponsored by the Philadelphia Interfaith Coalition and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Religious and community leaders and workers spotlighted Comcast's abuse of workers' rights.

A petition signed by clergy members from many faiths calling on Roberts to affirm workers' human rights was delivered during the annual meeting.