SUPPORT PUBLIC OWNED CABLE

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Spectrum has shown to not be a good citizen of NYC as well as many other states they have taken

over. Their franchise agreement allows them to hold a monopoly that leaves customers having to

go with them or have nothing. This is also allowing them to starve out 1800 families on strike

who are just trying to keep the conditions they already had. Customers that complain of poor

services and higher prices have no where to turn to. It is that type of stacked deck that emboldens

Spectrum to make statements like customers aren’t paying enough, or the amount we raise prices

on customers who have to stay will make up for those we lose, and telling 1800 families on strike

during negotiations, many who are losing their homes, I promise “on my mothers grave” you will

never get back the retirement and medical fund for you and your family. They can only do this

because we allow them to. I write this letter asking if this is good for NYC?

Since Spectrum has taken over they have:

1) Raised rates on customers while cutting customer services.

2)  Penalized employees for the same poor service they are being sued by the attorney general for.

3) Removed employees retirement and hospitalization plans while gutting their medical benefits.

4) Highest rate of complaints while telling NYC council they have no more complaints than usual.

5) Brought in under qualified out of town contractors to lower wages and take money away from the NYC economy.

6) 29 billion in company profit, and an 82 million dollar raise to CEO’s pocket, while taking everything away from the workers that got them there.

7) Disrespected and mistreated employees and customers while hiding behind a city contract they’ve violated.

8) A lawsuit filed by NY attorney general for ripping off customers by charging more for services they knew they could not provide.

We deserve answers. Why is this company being allowed to abuse NYC residents while hiding

behind a franchise agreement they’ve violated? NYC granted them that franchise and is now

responsible for enforcing the penalties for not complying with it. The state approved a merger

agreement which Spectrum is violating. Now the state is responsible for enforcing the penalties

for them not abiding by that agreement. It needs to be done in order to protect the citizens of the city.

Soon, whether through removal due to findings of current violations of their franchise agreement

or upon its expiration in 2020 Spectrum needs to be held accountable. This would give us an

opportunity to instantly lower cable bills and create a large new revenue stream for the city. A

contract between the highly trained Local 3 technicians currently working for Spectrum cable

would give long term stability to working conditions for the employees who already have the best

working knowledge of the system. We have qualified people that can build, service, and maintain

the infrastructure for the hard lined cable system of the city. Because Spectrum’s franchise

agreement does not give them exclusive right to offer broadband internet service (one of the

strongest and fastest growing parts of the business) we can enter this part of the business

immediately and begin to offer services to the city that create competition. This would provide

relief to the high cable bills that currently burden customers.

Spectrum is already 3 years past a required upgrade of their system according to the franchise

agreement. Now they will look to an under trained staff and out of town workers to rebuild

infrastructure here in our city. If the city takes over this infrastructure rebuild instead it will not

only create jobs for NYC residents, but also maintain standards of quality and help bolster our

economy and keep that money here in the city.

This plan with our workforce can help take New York City into the future. We the technicians of

Local 3 have built this city’s cable system from the ground up over the past 40 years. While the

name on the door has changed many times we are the ones that keep it going. Now it’s time to let

the people who truly care for the system they built have the opportunity to run it like it was meant

to be run. Cable will belong to the people of New York City.

We are asking you as our elected officials to enforce the penalties for the franchise and merger

agreements currently in place. We are asking that you sign a petition being distributed amongst

all New York public officials to agree now not to renew Spectrum cable’s franchise agreement in

2020 and to work now to provide a public cable option for the city.

Striking members of Local 3

Constituents of New York City