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- [00:01]
A
Welcome friends to the continuation of our interview with Troy Walcott, IBEW Local 3 on Strike Spectrum Cable.
- [00:13]
B
In our break we were talking about something I want to hear you talk about a bit more. That the union's objective was not only and is not only to hold on to the benefits you struggled for for years to acquire but that you were also demanding or in your proposal for a worker co op to take over this demanding something that would benefit all the workers there union members and not. Could you tell us a little bit about that?
- [00:42]
C
Well yeah, as we see it, it's not just about the union part of it. The union and the workers work side by side. Any benefit that we give sets the standard. And it's the reason why non union people have to be able to keep the same things they have. Because when Spectrum came in they automatically cut off the pension of all the non union workers.
- [00:59]
B
They could just do that.
- [01:01]
C
They just did it because they didn't have a voice to fight for themselves.
- [01:03]
B
And no contract to prevent it. Correct.
- [01:05]
C
All their voices got silenced. We felt for them. But I mean this is the thing, it has to be. Unions shouldn't be against the non union and we are all workers. So something we introduced in the cooperative is to try to reinstate the pensions for the people who got lost it when they first came in. There's no reason they shouldn't have it. There's enough profit there to have it. The only thing was the greed of the company taken away from them. And this should be something that workers and unions do together anyway. Co working together to try to move towards a better situation for all of us because there's no reason that we shouldn't be the forefront to help the non union people in order to maintain the same standard of living that everybody else is trying to achieve.
- [01:41]
B
And not to set the workers against each other.
- [01:43]
C
Correct.
- [01:44]
B
In the same workplace, one group of workers with a completely different benefit, it's just, it's a recipe for trouble.
- [01:50]
C
Right. The company tried to do it. We would hear stuff that they would tell the non union people about the union workers and why you couldn't get it and they would tell it to us and we know. So they try to pit us against each other. But at the end of the day, once you see them coming and taking stuff away from you, you see who the real bad guy is.
- [02:06]
B
I understand that Spectrum is not only a problem for the workers but it's a problem for the customers and the state of New York. There's some legal action. Tell us a little bit about the company's problems with the state and with the authorities that run the state.
- [02:21]
C
So one of the biggest problems right now, well, the main one that was in the news, the, the Public Service Commission has told Spectrum Cable that they have to leave the city, that they violated their merger agreement. So what they did was agree to certain terms of a merger agreement, like they were supposed to build out to underserved areas and they were advertising as if they build out to those areas. But what they would do is a high rise condo that they would have to service anyway. They were counting those units as the underserved new areas that they were going to. And it's not like they didn't give them a chance. The Public Service Commission spoke to them about it, gave them numerous things. I believe they fined them and then they had to find them again. And it got to the point where they pushed back on and said they pushed back on the Public Service Commission and actually told them, basically, you're lucky we did even what we did so far. And it got to the point where they were so brazen, the Public Service Commission said, look, you know what, we don't have to do business with you. We want you out of New York City. And they basically told him, you have, I think it's, I don't know how many days left. It was 60 days to formulate a plan to switch over to somebody else and get out of New York City. And then the city Council followed suit and I believe a portion of their members, because there's a franchise agreement that lets them operate in New York City. And they've also told them, because they're about to come up and put in for their renewal for that franchise, has told them, we don't want to do business with you in the city of New York anymore either. Because they also did the same thing with them. There was a part in the contract where it said they had to use a certain amount, a percentage of people from New York to keep the money from New York here. And what they did was hired people and said because they had a storage unit in the city, that they were.
- [03:55]
B
In New York, they didn't really live here.
- [03:58]
C
And once DeWitt asked them about it, they sent them a dictionary page saying this is what located means. So it gets to a point where they were really brazen even with our elected officials. And now I think they've had enough of this company.
- [04:10]
B
In other words, it really could be the right historical moment. Spectrum forced out would be an opportunity to try this worker co op, have the company Run by some combination of the customers who live and depend on it with the workers who make the service, we could really do that now. And if the city would provide the funding to enable the workers and the community to buy and run this as a municipal worker owned and operated entity, New York City would be a pioneer.
- [04:42]
C
In a whole new way to pioneer. And it would create an enormous amount of money and income for the city. This city, this company just in New York City alone brings in billions of dollars a year in revenue. That's something I know the city could use. And why not take it over now? It's a perfect storm. If they deny them this, they're going to fight the legal battle with the Public Service Commission. That could take years. But if they deny them the opportunity to renew their franchise, there's no legal battle for that. So what they would have to do is operate in the city, maintaining it for the next two years, the same time that we have the opportunity to build our system next to them. So when one shuts off, we shut on and we kick them out of the city. And the customers and the workers take this period and we create revenue for the city. We could start doing things if we, if the customers want to take over a project like, say, improve the transit structure. We could say, you know what, let's talk to the city about improving the transit structure because it's for us, but we'll have our own company. And who wouldn't want to own a piece of the New York City cable market? It's not going anywhere. Even people that are getting bad service, like they're getting it now, still have to have it. So if we can do it and make it good, it's a beautiful.
- [05:45]
B
And it could be a model for all the different activities in the city. Well, it would be a pleasure. Just let me offer it right here on the air. It would be a pleasure to help mobilize, which I hereby volunteer to do. Economists and accountants and lawyers, if you need help doing this, there are people out there who have the skills. I mean, it depends on the workers.
- [06:08]
A
In the end, as so much does.
- [06:11]
B
But the technical things you need. I think there are people like me all over this city who would jump at the chance of doing something as potentially meaningful a change. We badly need it in the country.
- [06:25]
C
Definitely appreciate it because we've been getting contact from a lot of people that do cooperatives, and I've been hearing that sentiment on an ongoing basis now. And our biggest thing now is to try to push it out so the public knows exactly what's going on. Because once we get the public participation and even elected officials see that this is something that people want, it makes it much easier for us to put out. So now our biggest thing, our biggest challenge is to get this out to the public. Because kind of we have the secret for making lead to gold, but if nobody knows it's there, then it's going to waste. So we have to get people to know about it.
- [06:57]
A
So let me just look at the camera and say to all of you watching, get the word out. Something very important is happening here in this strike in this city of New York at this moment in history. Let's not let it happen without getting all the benefits that could flow out of it.
- [07:17]
B
Look, Spectrum is a cable company. Is it having any effect that they control what is seen on television for Americans? In terms of the understanding of your strike and the understanding of your interest in a worker co op solution, I mean, how is that working out?
- [07:34]
C
It's a major, major effect. Let me tell you something. Since this strike started, we've been on strike 15 months. And it's not nationwide, just in New York City. I just. Yesterday you speak to people and they don't know that we're on strike. This is one of the most, the major parts of the problem. They've squeezed out everything we've seen and actually tried to stand behind people doing interviews on New York 1 and they won't cover our story. But what you do see is on this, on other networks, even a bunch of marketing dollars being flooded in because you'll see Spectrum commercial after Spectrum commercial, but nobody wants to cover our story. So the hardest thing is to try to get our story out there mainstream. And the only thing that's kind of been helping us and the greatest outlet has been social media. We've been able to be able to try to influence and get our message out there, but we need it much more impactful. We try to put up websites now that we have people come to so they can look at it and contact us. So that's the way we've been trying to work around it because they're stifling us.
- [08:30]
B
I can appreciate your frustration, but let me assure you, and the audience as well, it's a new day in the United States that yes, you're being held back, but there's a new fight. And the fight is not just about giving workers decent wages and working conditions. Important and valuable as that is, it is this fight for a whole new change of how industries are run, how enterprises are Run what the real democratic control of the majority might mean in, in the economy, long overdue. And yes, it's hard and they'll try to stop it, but you're not going to stop this. This is part of where the world is going. Capitalism is a system. The old system of enterprises run by a handful of shareholders and boards of directors telling everybody else what to do, taking it away when they are strong enough to do it. That's over now. It may take a long time, but in lots of little places and some not so little, like here in New York, this fight is percolating up and I don't think they're going to be able to stop it, frustrating as it may be. I know it's remarkable and I hope you and the others fighting have a sense that you're doing something for all of us and for the historical change that's going on. Anyway, you were about to say no.
- [09:51]
C
It feels good that you know that you're fighting for something. Right? And honestly, it's their own fault that's going to be their demise because they got too greedy. Honestly, if we would have been able to work and collect a decent paycheck and just live off our lives normally, how many people would have wanted to step outside that to try to fight and go against it? Wouldn't have happened. But now it's got to the point where you only could get beaten down so much before you have to take control. And like, you know what, it's time to stand up and rise up and do something. And they've put the feeling in people that they're too small and able to do it themselves probably. But collectively together, if we get together, we can form something that's stronger than any other corporation because all they're concerned about is profits. You could take a profit a company and burn it and turn it. You don't care what happens to the company as long as the stock goes up, you can sell it for more. It's not like before. We used to hold a company and build it and you want the company to succeed because it's something you want to see. You want to see be prosperous. You want to pass on to your kids. You want to have, you don't want to have a business just to get it big enough to sell it. You want something that's going to provide a long term solution for you and your family. So they created their own paradox.
- [10:52]
B
So the irony is they have no one to blame but themselves.
- [10:55]
C
Blame themselves, their own greedy.
- [10:57]
B
What would you say to other workers around the country. What have you learned in this strike that you could give them as a.
- [11:04]
A
Benefit to help them, whether they're in.
- [11:06]
B
Seattle or they're in public or private enterprise? Share your wisdom.
- [11:12]
C
What I can say best, I would say don't be afraid of the pain of sacrifice. It seems like if you're comfortable, there will be no. There's no change in progress. Sometimes you have to sacrifice to fight for something and take a step back to move forward. If we all see that and realize that the place we're going is not the place that we want to be, if you're working two and three jobs and you can't make it, if you take a step back and figure out how to do something better, we could all collectively get together for ourselves and maybe do something different to try to move ourselves forward. Even if it seems too far fetched, it's the best thing to try to reach for.
- [11:48]
A
Troy, it's been a pleasure talking to you. And I think I say for many of the people watching and listening, we wish you every success imaginable. And for all of you watching, not.
- [12:01]
B
Only do I want to thank you.
- [12:02]
A
As our Patreon community of support and the importance that we attach to you and the appreciation we feel, but everything I've been trying to say for months on this program about worker co ops as a future, as a step forward, as a way to bring democracy to the economy where it should have been from the beginning, that is now beginning to happen on the ground in the cities and towns of America. And nothing illustrates this more and better than the struggle of the spectrum cable workers on strike here in New York and New Jersey with their ABLE spokesperson, Troy Walcott. Thank you very much for being with us and I look forward to talking with you again next week.