Feds Slap Cablevision with Third Labor Complaint in Less than Two Years

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued another sweeping federal complaint against Cablevision and its CEO James Dolan last Thursday for violations of federal labor law at its Brooklyn unit. Cablevision was charged with illegally firing Jerome Thompson, conducting an illegal sham poll of workers to determine if they wanted to leave their union and illegally implementing changes in working conditions without bargaining with CWA.

This complaint comes on top of charges that two separate NLRB regional offices authorized against the company in April 2013: One in Brooklyn for illegally firing 22 workers, bargaining in bad faith, and spying on workers, and another in the Bronx for illegally intimidating, harassing and essentially bribing workers during a union representation election. Briefs in that case were filed on Feb. 28, and an Administrative Law Judge's decision on those charges is expected soon.

The NLRB issued another sweeping federal complaint against Cablevision and CEO James Dolan last week for violations of federal labor law.

"The federal government has once again charged James Dolan and Cablevision with shamelessly breaking federal labor laws," said District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton. "This discriminatory and illegal treatment of hard-working men and women is unacceptable, and it's time for public officials to make clear to James Dolan that just because he's a billionaire, he doesn't get to supersede the law or trample on workers' rights. Brooklyn Cablevision workers deserve equal pay, the respect of having their federally-protected labor rights honored, and a fair contract."

The NLRB complaint cites Cablevision, Dolan and the so-called "Honest Ballot Association" (HBA) for violating the National Labor Relations Act in the following ways:

• Cablevision illegally firing Thompson, an 11-year employee and leader of the union drive, for engaging in a "protected, concerted" effort to demand that Cablevision pay its Brooklyn employees the same as workers elsewhere in Cablevision. Thompson had previously compared the way Cablevision's discriminatory treatment of the Brooklyn workers hurt the company's reputation to the way that slavery stained America's reputation.
• At an unannounced meeting at a company garage in September, according to the complaint, Dolan illegally threatened workers. If they voted to keep CWA in his sham poll, he implied that they would not get a pay increase, would lose their jobs and would be left behind in training.
• Dolan illegally offered to pay off the union to "disclaim interest in representing" Cablevision workers.
• The NLRB also charged Dolan with illegally bypassing the union at the meeting to discuss wages and working conditions directly with the employees.
• The NLRB cited the HBA for its illegal conduct of the sham election on Sept. 10, saying that the workers were given personal PIN numbers by the HBA prior to the vote that gave workers the impression that their votes were not secret. Furthermore, the HBA illegally "surveilled" workers as they cast their ballots.
• The NLRB also cited Cablevision for implementing two different work rules changes without bargaining over them as required by the National Labor Relations Act.

Recently, 42 of the New York City Council's 51 members wrote to the Commissioner of New York City's Department of Information Technology and Telecommunication to express concerns that Cablevision may not meet city franchisee requirements because of the pending NLRB charges against the company.

For more information, visit www.thecablevision99.org.