Members of the Communications Workers of America are trying to marshal support for a Valentine's Day picket against Comcast Corp. at its Oakland, Calif., office.
The two-hour informational action is aimed at drawing attention to the union's contention that Comcast is an "abusive employer," said Lisa Morowitz, cable field coordinator with the CWA.
The union has had some success promoting its agenda before the City Council of the heavily union town. On Feb. 7, the council voted to compel city franchisees to accept organizing techniques that could make it easier to create union shops. Unions could be introduced when workers merely sign cards, demonstrating that a majority of them favor unionization, as opposed to a months-long election period during which workers are subjected to employer pressure to reject unions, Morowitz said.
Comcast opposed the city measure, said Andrew Johnson, the MSO’s vice president of communications for the San Francisco Bay area.
The city measure does not become official until a second reading Feb. 21.
