Time-Warner Horror Stories
Time Warner has a record of numerous unfair labor practice charges and OSHA charges being filed against it around the country. When one considers that the "horror stories" below may be multiplied dozens of times--effecting thousands of workers—all over America, it's easier to imagine the impact of Time Warner's abusive behavior on jobs, wages, and working conditions.
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In Time Warner's non-union facilities, employees are often fired for little or no reason. In fact, it is company policy. The follow statements are taken directly from the Time Warner Cable employee handbook:
"Employment at Time Warner is 'At Will.' This means that the company can terminate your employment at any time…"
"Time Warner Cable [has the right] to terminate the employment of any employee at any time, with or without cause" (emphasis added)
"…employment may be terminated without warning and without severance pay." (emphasis added) |
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 "I prefer a union company. I prefer AT&T over my former employer Time Warner Cable. At AT&T, I have job security because of the union, excellent benefits, and we're compensated for the work that we do. At Time Warner Cable (a non-union company) they were more worried about making money for higher management than compensating the employees that deal directly with the customers. Therefore this was a direct hit on there customer service. When I was employed by a non-union company, I didn't feel appreciated for the hard work I did! With AT&T I feel appreciated!!!"
- Nakesha Clements
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Time Warner regularly lies to employees when they try to form a union. For example in a March 6, 2000 flyer to employees, Time Warner claimed that "it is a FACT" that CWA's dues "average" 2.25% of pay. In fact, Time Warner inflated the dues by 73%. Actual CWA dues are only 1.3% of base pay (dues on overtime are 0%). |
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Even in places where workers have overcome vicious anti-union campaigns of threats and harassment, and managed to form a union and gain better wages and benefits, Time Warner has eliminated union workers' positions and replaced them with less well compensated contract workers. For example, in Cleveland, Ohio in 2006, Time Warner eliminated the jobs of 17 Union technicians who received decent wages and benefits and had rights on the job and replaced them with contract workers. |
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 "Time Warner Cable was a really unorganized and messy place to work. Managers didn't know how to manage. I think having a union at TWC would help the company as much as it would help the workers!"
- Alafia McMurtry |
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Time Warner took over as a successor to Comcast cable in Dallas, Texas, where the union had a very strong bargaining unit, and almost immediately began a campaign to get rid of the union. This campaign included requiring the workers to attend mandatory one-on-one meetings with supervisors for anti-union indoctrination, and sending out anti-union letters, flyers and handouts at work. Ultimately, the workers could take no more and voted to decertify their own union. |
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Recently in Utica, New York, Time Warner took over the cable franchise from Adelphia cable where the employees are members of the Communications Workers of America Local 1126 and announced layoffs of several customer service reps. Despite several job openings in neighboring towns, Time Warner refused to offer the positions to the laid off workers without making them reapply for the same position they held for many years with no guarantee they would be hired – forcing them to compete with off-the-street applicants. |
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