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CWA Urges District of Columbia City Council to Set Tough Standards for AT&T/TCI Cable Franchise
CWA Urges District to Monitor Cable Company's
Employment and Service Practices, Set Tough Standards
"Transfer from TCI to AT&T has potential to improve franchise performance"
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Officers of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) urged the District of Columbia's Committee on Economic Development to set tougher service performance standards for District Cablevision and to require AT&T -- now bidding to take over the cable franchise -- to turn around "low road" employment policies of the present management of Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI).
At a public hearing this morning, CWA Vice President James Irvine said the proposed franchise transfer "has the potential to improve service quality in the cable industry" if AT&T's high-performance employment practices replace those of TCI in cities such as Washington, D.C.
Irvine, who heads CWA's office representing 45,000 AT&T employees, said: "AT&T is recognized as a leading example of a high-performance work organization, one that excels in quality customer service based on employment practices that make substantial investments in human capital, including good training, wages, benefits and good labor relations with its unions."
In contrast, TCI, which is being purchased by AT&T, is known for "low-road employment policies," Irvine said, citing, "little investment in training, unsafe working conditions, poor labor relations and excessive use of subcontracted labor resulting in an unstable, high-turnover workforce." This has caused a poor reputation for service by District Cablevision and other TCI franchises, he said.
Irvine cautioned, however, that the city must monitor the cable operation and hold AT&T to high standards, noting that AT&T recently delivered the District a slap in the face by shifting away an operator center, set to close next week, at a cost of 162 jobs.
Similar concern was raised by CWA District 2 Vice President Peter Catucci, head of the union region encompassing the District of Columbia, who noted that AT&T plans to allow the current TCI chief to run its new cable division.
To ensure improvement in service, Catucci urged the City Council to adopt sanctions requiring the company to give each customer a rebate of one day of service for each of the following: a service interruption; a busy signal on more than 3 percent of calls to the business office; failure to make normal installations within 7 days; for each percentage point below 95 percent compliance with standards for outages and service calls.
The CWA leaders also urged the Council to encourage AT&T to grant an expedited union representation election at District Cablevision as soon as the merger with TCI is completed. "The sooner the workers can fairly exercise their rights in the workplace, the quicker the service quality will improve here in Washington," said Irvine.
Also giving a union perspective to City Council members this morning was Josh Williams, head of the Metropolitan Washington Labor Council. Williams stated: "Many people view TCI as an abusive provider and welcome the chance to deal with a more responsible corporate citizen like AT&T. I am inclined to share that view but I think it is time to be cautious.... AT&T is not a white hat coming to rescue our city. They are a company with no loyalty except to the bottom line. Unless you establish firm rules and then enforce them, you can expect the same type of problems from AT&T that have been foisted upon you by TCI."
CWA represents 630,000 workers in telecommunications, broadcast and cable TV, journalism, publishing and the public service sector.
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Employment and Service Practices, Set Tough Standards
"Transfer from TCI to AT&T has potential to improve franchise performance"
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Officers of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) urged the District of Columbia's Committee on Economic Development to set tougher service performance standards for District Cablevision and to require AT&T -- now bidding to take over the cable franchise -- to turn around "low road" employment policies of the present management of Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI).
At a public hearing this morning, CWA Vice President James Irvine said the proposed franchise transfer "has the potential to improve service quality in the cable industry" if AT&T's high-performance employment practices replace those of TCI in cities such as Washington, D.C.
Irvine, who heads CWA's office representing 45,000 AT&T employees, said: "AT&T is recognized as a leading example of a high-performance work organization, one that excels in quality customer service based on employment practices that make substantial investments in human capital, including good training, wages, benefits and good labor relations with its unions."
In contrast, TCI, which is being purchased by AT&T, is known for "low-road employment policies," Irvine said, citing, "little investment in training, unsafe working conditions, poor labor relations and excessive use of subcontracted labor resulting in an unstable, high-turnover workforce." This has caused a poor reputation for service by District Cablevision and other TCI franchises, he said.
Irvine cautioned, however, that the city must monitor the cable operation and hold AT&T to high standards, noting that AT&T recently delivered the District a slap in the face by shifting away an operator center, set to close next week, at a cost of 162 jobs.
Similar concern was raised by CWA District 2 Vice President Peter Catucci, head of the union region encompassing the District of Columbia, who noted that AT&T plans to allow the current TCI chief to run its new cable division.
To ensure improvement in service, Catucci urged the City Council to adopt sanctions requiring the company to give each customer a rebate of one day of service for each of the following: a service interruption; a busy signal on more than 3 percent of calls to the business office; failure to make normal installations within 7 days; for each percentage point below 95 percent compliance with standards for outages and service calls.
The CWA leaders also urged the Council to encourage AT&T to grant an expedited union representation election at District Cablevision as soon as the merger with TCI is completed. "The sooner the workers can fairly exercise their rights in the workplace, the quicker the service quality will improve here in Washington," said Irvine.
Also giving a union perspective to City Council members this morning was Josh Williams, head of the Metropolitan Washington Labor Council. Williams stated: "Many people view TCI as an abusive provider and welcome the chance to deal with a more responsible corporate citizen like AT&T. I am inclined to share that view but I think it is time to be cautious.... AT&T is not a white hat coming to rescue our city. They are a company with no loyalty except to the bottom line. Unless you establish firm rules and then enforce them, you can expect the same type of problems from AT&T that have been foisted upon you by TCI."
CWA represents 630,000 workers in telecommunications, broadcast and cable TV, journalism, publishing and the public service sector.
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