Victory! Time Warner Cable Members Win Contract Battle!

CWA members today ratified a new 4 year contract at Time Warner Cable that covers 36 workers in Utica, including technicians and customer service representatives. The contract includes vigorous protections from arbitrary discipline and dismissal, a year of retroactive pay increases, a 401(k) with a company match, a pay scale based on years of service and an 8% pay increase.

“Today, the working people of Utica beat a corporate giant that almost nobody thought we could beat. Time Warner’s goal was to get rid of the union. They failed. Our goal was to win a contract with justice and dignity. We succeeded,” said Mike Garry, President of CWA Local 1126.

The vote by the CWA members to ratify the contract was 26 to 5. Last week, CWA members rejected a contract offer from Time Warner by a 25 to 1 vote.

"We fought Time Warner for 20 months. They did everything they could to break the membership’s resolve, but we just kept fighting,” said Garry. “Time Warner realized that they simply could not break this unit of brave women and men.”

During its campaign, CWA ran radio, TV and print ads; put up hundreds of yardsigns; held numerous rallies and protests; distributed thousands of leaflets; got almost 100 elected officials from city & town Councils, Mayors, State Legislators and other State-level officials, and Members of Congress and the Senate to urge Time Warner to settle a fair contract. Utica consumers firmly supported workers as well.

The ratified contract includes a substantial pay increase, a 401(k) with up to 6% company match, continued health care benefits, protections from arbitrary discipline and termination, a pay scale based on years of service and other features, although it does not include the defined benefit pension plan that CWA also fought for.

To win a fair contract from Time Warner, CWA also took the campaign to Syracuse, Binghamton, Albany and New York City with rallies and protests throughout the state. Throughout the fight, the union made the case that workers and consumers have the same interests.

“The Utica community stood together in this fight, and we want to thank both the public and our elected officials for their strong support. Time Warner learned the hard way that corporate greed cannot beat a determined group of people working together. “This is a solid victory for all of us,” concluded Garry.