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CWA Files Charges Against Adelphia
CWA filed unfair labor practice charges against Adelphia Communications in Morgantown, W.Va., on May 29 after a company executive invited workers to breakfast in an alleged attempt to break their union. Forty-two members of Local 2004 went on strike against Adelphia on May 22 after seven months of attempting to bargain a new contract.
The charges, reported by CWA District 2 Vice President Pete Catucci, maintain that Adelphia:
*** "Discriminated against, coerced and restrained employees and has attempted to interfere with its employees' rights by encouraging them to resign from the union to regain reinstatement, conditioning employment on nonunion status."
*** "Discriminated against employees and has refused to bargain in good faith by conditioning a wage increase on the employees giving up union representation," and
*** "Refused to bargain in good faith by refusing to provide the employees with a wage increase, while it has provided its nonunion workers with substantial wage increases."
The charges came two days after several striking employees responded to an invitation to breakfast from Adelphia's human resources director, Randy Swanson. When they arrived, there was a surprise guest: new Chief Operating Officer Ronald Cooper.
"In his remarks, he implied the local workers were being misled by their local union leadership and that the national union was not in support of the strike," said Local 2004 President Ron Gaskins. "Our chief job steward, John Bolyard, spoke up to correct these misstatements."
Gaskins said Swanson, a member of the Adelphia bargaining team, also told workers they would get raises if they returned to work, leaving their union membership behind.
Morgantown customers, said Gaskins, have received letters from Adelphia General Manager Susan Lorenzo, citing pay raises and benefits that workers received in their last contract. The company also ran a full-page ad in Morgantown and Fairmont, W.Va., newspapers last week attacking the union's bargaining position.
The charges, reported by CWA District 2 Vice President Pete Catucci, maintain that Adelphia:
*** "Discriminated against, coerced and restrained employees and has attempted to interfere with its employees' rights by encouraging them to resign from the union to regain reinstatement, conditioning employment on nonunion status."
*** "Discriminated against employees and has refused to bargain in good faith by conditioning a wage increase on the employees giving up union representation," and
*** "Refused to bargain in good faith by refusing to provide the employees with a wage increase, while it has provided its nonunion workers with substantial wage increases."
The charges came two days after several striking employees responded to an invitation to breakfast from Adelphia's human resources director, Randy Swanson. When they arrived, there was a surprise guest: new Chief Operating Officer Ronald Cooper.
"In his remarks, he implied the local workers were being misled by their local union leadership and that the national union was not in support of the strike," said Local 2004 President Ron Gaskins. "Our chief job steward, John Bolyard, spoke up to correct these misstatements."
Gaskins said Swanson, a member of the Adelphia bargaining team, also told workers they would get raises if they returned to work, leaving their union membership behind.
Morgantown customers, said Gaskins, have received letters from Adelphia General Manager Susan Lorenzo, citing pay raises and benefits that workers received in their last contract. The company also ran a full-page ad in Morgantown and Fairmont, W.Va., newspapers last week attacking the union's bargaining position.