Op-Ed: Altice Should Stop Out-Sourcing Westchester Jobs

From the Communications Workers of America Local 1103

Altice workers were joined by Westchester County Legislators Monday calling on the multibillion-dollar company to stop outsourcing critical customer-facing service work in Westchester to contractors. Altice has eliminated over two hundred middle-class jobs in Westchester, and at least one thousand more in the tri-state area, shifting the work to call centers and lower-skilled and lower-paid contractors. By hiring contractors, Westchester consumers are now relying on a reduced permanent workforce.

Workers and legislators, who rallied outside the Westchester County Board of Legislators, demanded the company stop shortchanging Westchester-based employees and provide the same level of job security that exists in Brooklyn, where staffing levels have been more stable because of union negotiated job security provisions.

“It’s simple: Westchester workers and consumers are getting a raw deal from Altice. Altice has systematically eliminated good middle-class jobs in order to make a quick buck, which harms all of our communities in Westchester County. Common sense tells us that reliance on lower-skilled and lower paid contractors will ultimately lead to poorer service for customers. It’s time for Altice to stop creating two-tiers of workers. If it is good enough for Brooklyn it is good enough for Westchester,” said CWA Local 1103 President Kevin Sheil.

The job cuts in Westchester come despite an agreement with the state’s Public Service Commission which has specific protections against layoffs, along with customer service and broadband access requirements. The company’s decision to reduce its customer-facing workforce in Westchester by more than 50 percent and replace them with lower-skilled and lower paid contractors hurts Westchester’s local economy and threatens the quality of service that customers will experience. Customers rely on high-quality customer service when a crisis hits—like the recent power outage which impacted 15,000 residents, along with businesses and hospitals. Full-time workers are in the best position to help consumers navigate these incidents.

“I’m proud to stand with so many of my co-workers today demanding equal treatment from Altice. It is wrong for Altice to treat us differently than our co-workers in Brooklyn. We have the same skills, training, and expertise to provide the best service the company has to offer,” said Field Service Technician Wanda Fontanez.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) represents 400 members at Altice locations in Brooklyn, Westchester and Wappingers Falls. The Westchester and Wappingers Falls workers have been negotiating a contract with Altice since March 2019.