CWA attempts to unionize Cablevision employees

The Communications Workers of America is attempting to unionize technicians at Cablevision (NYSE: CVC), and has enlisted New York City politicians, the Rev. Al Sharpton and other activists to draw attention to its efforts.

CWA, which led an employee strike that crippled operations at Cablevision rival Verizon (NYSE: VZ) for two weeks last summer, staged a Martin Luther King Day rally in front of Madison Square Garden in New York on Monday. Speakers cited King during their remarks, which were aimed at Cablevision management. "How dare you inside Madison Square Garden try to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? If Dr. King was alive ... he'd be out here today with CWA, with Cablevision, trying to organize a union. He wouldn't be in there with the millionaires and the billionaires," New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams said at the rally, as he pointed toward Madison Square Garden.

While Cablevision no longer owns MSG, the company is controlled by Cablevision CEO Jim Dolan.

CWA says that about 70 percent of 285 Cablevision technicians based in Brooklyn, N.Y., have signed union cards that would allow them to be represented by CWA during labor negotiations with the cable MSO. CWA says it represents about 300,000 technicians at telephone and cable companies nationwide, including employees of AT&T (NYSE: T), Verizon, Frontier Communications (NYSE: FTR) and CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL). Cablevision technicians are scheduled to vote Jan. 26 on a proposal to join the CWA.

For Cablevision, CWA's unionization efforts could impact its image in the community, if the union continues to stage public rallies. The MSO said in a statement that it has a good relationship with its employees.

"In one of the worst economies since the Great Depression, Cablevision has not laid off any technicians in New York City or elsewhere and its employees have great jobs with excellent salaries and benefits," Cablevision said.  "In fact, Cablevision is currently hiring and expanding its New York City workforce. Our relationship with our employees is excellent, we believe CWA has nothing to offer them, but it's up to the employees."

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