These were my prepared comments for the launch of the Philadelphia Grassroots cable Campaign on June 30, in front of the headquarters of Comcast in Philadelphia, PA.

Also, check out these links to the articles in the Philadelphia Inquirer- Comcast offers a soapbox and Groups Unite to Assail Comcast Policies

Comments from Fabricio Rodriguez, Executive Director, Philadelphia Area Jobs with Justice on the announcing of a campaign targeting Comcast by local grassroots coalition and the release of a National Workers’ Rights Board report.

Today, activists in a dozen cities are making public statements decrying the human rights violations of Comcast or warning of the threat that the cable giant poses to our democracy in its relentless drive for market dominance. Though Comcast has systematically violated workers’ rights all across the nation and despite the fact that this mega-corporation has swallowed up local cable providers in every major market, I am certain that the epicenter of the corporations malfeasant is hear in Philadelphia. I say that, not just because the headquarters is hear, but also because its strong arm corporate philosophy is so evident in our city. While Comcast gets millions of dollars in tax breaks to build its new gleaming headquarters, tens of thousands of city workers find their health care needs endangered by budget shortfalls. Meanwhile, dozens of custodial and maintenance workers currently working in the Comcast headquarters will lose their jobs. When state officials cut this immensely profitable cable company such a big check, it is a text book example of graft, corruption and corporate welfare. By designating the new headquarters as a Keystone Opportunity Zone, the state and Comcast artificially drive down the effective business rent and leasing rates in Philadelphia. The lowering of this rate with push down the wages of custodial and maintenance staff, many of whom are organized workers with SEIU Local 36, all across the city, threatening the livelihood of thousands low-waged workers all across the city.

More of this corporate philosophy was exposed on June 2, at the first National Jobs with Justice, Workers’ Rights Board hearing in Washington D.C. The Workers’ Rights Board is a fifty member board of high-profile community leaders, elected officials, workers’ rights experts, academics, student and faith leaders who serve as a human rights commission specializing on workers’ rights issues in the US. On June 2nd, a WRB heard testimony from experts and workers in reference to two companies. Wackenhut, a private security and prison company, and Comcast. 14 members of the WRB convened the June 2nd hearing and the report that is being officially released today is a harsh indictment of the Philadelphia cable company.

Steven White, a line technician at Comcast, told the WRB of daily captive audience meetings where the company threatened pro-union workers with the loss of wages and benefits. White, a union supporter, soon found that Comcast bosses kept close watch on him and actually kept a file on his activities at work. In March, Steven was terminated from his job with Comcast. Another worker, Shannon Kirkland, said of Comcast, “Comcast acts like a bully, refusing to adhere to the rules or community standards.”

After hearing the testimony of several workers and experts, testimony from Comcast representatives was invited but no spokes person appeared at the hearing, the Workers’ Rights Board came to a series of recommendations. These recommendations, which can be referenced in the provided report, included four concrete steps that Comcast can take to address its workers’ rights problems:

1. Comcast should stop interfering with workers’ efforts to form a legally recognized, and democratic union.
2. Comcast should bargain in good faith with organized workers. Comcast has been know to stall contract negotiations for as long a 20 months, often grinding down workers with delays.
3. The Energy and Commerce Committee of the House of Representatives and the FCC should investigate ways to regulate monopolies, especially monopolies like Comcast that overcharge customers and provide bad service.

Jobs with Justice looks forward to developing a code of conduct for cable monopolies with the members of the Grassroots Cable Campaign and activists nation-wide, and Comcast can expect escalating action from local and national activist in the future.