New Jersey Comcast Contract --
Gains and No Takeaways

Jon Miller, business manager of East Windsor, N.J., Local 827, didn’t know what to expect when he sat down with Comcast’s labor relations representative in September, a month before their contract covering 90 cable installers, clerical and warehouse workers expired.  But Miller and his membership knew what they wanted: a productive negotiation, not a repeat of a bruising battle three years ago.

“I encouraged Comcast not to bring a lot of demands to the table and I offered to reciprocate,” says Miller, who suggested that the parties sit down and talk, rather than “going back and forth with proposals and counter-proposals.”

One month later, members of Local 827 at Comcast’s facility in Pleasantville, N.J. voted by a 3 to 1 margin to approve a new agreement that included no takeaways and narrowed the gap between bargaining unit workers in two pay tiers that the union was forced to accept three years ago.

The pact also provides for improvements in bereavement leave, shift differentials and standby pay.  All installer-repair technician titles will be entitled to five percent pay increases after training in new Voice over Internet Protocol products. Grievance procedure language and reimbursement for traveling expenses are both improved. All workers will be provided a pair of work boots each year.  They will have more flexibility to take additional days off when holidays fall on weekends.

Installation Repair Technicians in the bottom pay tier will be promoted to the next classification and also garner across-the-board wage increases of 2.75 percent the first year and 3 percent for the following two years, resulting in a 36 percent raise over the term of the contract.

Comcast’s strong competition from Verizon’s new FiOS, a fiber-optic service that carries traditional phone service, Internet and cable, helped keep the negotiations constructive. During the contract battle three years ago, the local union held motorcades and rallies through surrounding communities calling attention to deficiencies in Comcast’s service and to the company’s contentious labor relations.  “They didn’t want media attention this time.  They wanted a low key settlement,” says Miller.

“I don’t think Comcast or our local wanted to go through what we went through on our last contract,” says Paul Moore, a maintenance technician and member of the local’s bargaining committee. Moore has worked at Pleasantville for 18 years and was employed by two successive cable providers before Comcast purchased the facility in 2000. “Our numbers speak for themselves, our productivity is good,” says Moore.
           
             

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