Members of International Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 3 in the New York City area have been on strike against the Spectrum cable monopoly since March 28, 2017. The 1,800 strikers are fighting Charter Communications, which brands itself as Spectrum and which has assets of $146 billion.
Charter CEO Tom Rutledge got a pay package of $98 million in 2016. But his greed knows no bounds. Now, he wants to steal workers’ health care benefits and pensions. Billionaire John Malone is the outfit’s largest stockholder, owning 27 percent of the shares. This rich pig gave $250,000 for Trump’s inauguration.
After buying Time-Warner’s cable operations in the New York area, Charter/Spectrum has become the second biggest cable operator in the U.S. It took on $27 billion in debt to finance the takeover. (Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2015)
The banks holding this debt, which Moody’s labeled as junk, are behind Charter’s strikebreaking. Finance capital wants to crush members of IBEW Local 3, one of the most powerful union locals in the U.S.All poor and working people should rally behind the Spectrum strikers. Check out their website at www.cutthecordspectrum.org The union movement should call a labor holiday to support these courageous workers.
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