his kid helped make the sign give the spelling a break shes a 2nd grader
It started with one man sticking up for his rights provided by state and federal law. Now there’s more picketing and hundreds supporting. Now it continues throughout the SE Michigan Comcast system. Cable contractors are driving by this man beeping their horns. Local businesses paying high cable bills giving these guys free drinks and food. Police stopping by daily to say hi. A reporter now and then, an attorney trying to get money. These cable guys all have felt the burn and sting of big contractor companies. The boot heel stomping down on their hopes and dreams of a better future in the job field they have come to know and love.
It no longer is one company against one small man. It is now about all companies supporting this one man. ACI PCT Vitel Even WOW and dish techs drive out of their way to beep their horn and tip their hats to this man. The Vice president of Lecom Inc is behind his closed door shuttering and biting his nails. He knows where this started. Almost a year ago an email intercepted by a fill-in supervisor was left unattended at a desk. He had planned on giving it to his boss do to the content of the directives within the email. This retired marine did not know what to do with something so sensitive so like a good marine he stepped out for a quick smoke. That smoke turned into running a tech a box for an install. By the time he got back the email was gone, and long forgotten until the next day. He works for WOW now. And has a $1700 labor board claim.
The email spread like wildfire labor board claims soared higher than an American eagle. What was in this email? Well it simply stated that anyone who refuses to sign a pay docking for damage, late charge, free HBO or ANYTHING will be severely disciplined up to and including termination.
Now hundreds of LECOM techs have proof right from Jeff Gendrans hands that he has issued a mandate to the supervisors to break the law. Public Act 390 of 1978, in section 7(1) states; ". . . an employer shall not deduct from the wages of an employee, directly or indirectly, any amount . . . without the full, free, and written consent of the employee, obtained without intimidation or fear of discharge for refusal to permit the deduction."
Good job Jeff Gendran in your own words heard by many ears many times “I AM LECOM” Well “Lecom” what do the owners think now? Look what you have done. How was your Butt chewing the other day? It there any Butt left for the next chewing? We hear Comcast corporate is hungry.
This guy picketing WON”T GIVE UP. He has money saved, other members of his family have an income. He is a foster father and an upstanding citizen in the community. Ron is an Italian. Yup I said it, are you scared now? He’s Italian. He is a veteran of the US Army. Low and behold start asking around. A LOT OF CABLE TECHS ARE VETRANS. From what I can tell percentage wise, more than most other private fields. Vets stick together. Cable guys stick together. People are already passing the hat around their shops for gas money just to make sure he can show up and picket. And the hat is full. A million dollar a year VP verse a hat full of gas money from $7.40 an hour techs. Every news paper and T.V. station in Detroit and Macomb county have been called…many times. Comcast corporate in Pennsylvania has been call. Emails to Jennifer Granholm and other political entities have been sent. Twitter, face book, MySpace to name a few more. Redford, Fraser, Port Huron, flint offices have heard this mans plight. Techs are making printouts of the Craigs list postings and sticking them into welcome kits for customers. Rumors of Comcast competitors giving special deals if you switch to them and mention the man with the sign. (please verify this for me guys)
Here’s another bottom line.
Average tech hourly rate in Lecom INC
Tech $7.40 and hour
Supervisor (2-4 in most shops) $650 a week
Warehouse guy ( only one guy in most shops) $450
Lead tech $7.40 plus $25 a day
Lead tech day rate $75 less than a year $95 one year $115 two years
VP of company $Millions$
$110 bucks a week ($440 A Month) copay on family insurance. And its bad insurance lots of fee’s copay’s at the doctors office. Limited coverage.
60-70 hours a week 6 days a week minus many disciplinary charges, late fee’s free HBO’s etc. And cost of laptops $2500 meters, tools etc. And OMG don’t lose a box or get one stolen from you they will dock you for 4 times the cost a cable modem. The box sheet says $200 the actual debit memo from Comcast is $40. Never buy tools from Lecom the $4.25 volt meter is sold for $30 bucks. All the tools are like that. Debit memos for free HBO, $20 credit for being late and various other things have just come down this week. Hundreds of dollars out of the techs pockets and into Jeff Gendrans pockets for charges to the COMPANY NOT THE TECH.. Read your Comcast contract Jeff Gendran. I bet it says it’s a fine to the company. Do you want a pissed of tech in your house touching your $2000 T.V. up on the walls. A 1st grader knows what will happen if he ruff handles it. The floor will win trust me.
Thank you for your support guys, Ron I will see you in the unemployment line and later the picket line.
Goodtv21
Michigan craigs list postings are below
Detroit metro under community section in the Local news and views.
http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/vnn/
lecom
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Date: 2010-04-14, 10:51PM EDT
Reply to: (-REDACTED-) [Errors when replying to ads?]
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My Hats off to you Ron, You are doing what none of us have the guts to do. Here is my 2 cents worth.
I would love to witness the thought process of these millionaires when they rationalize taking money away money from the lowest paid segment of their employees. I thought the reason they made the big bucks was because they assumed the liability not passed it on to their employees. Aside from the myriad of back charges, The techs were told they had to purchase a laptop for $300 and a signal meter for $2500. This, immediately after cutting wages to the legal minimum.
Jim Carey and Larry the cable guy have done this industry tremendous harm. Gone are the days when all we had to do was screw the cable into the back of TV’s. Now, we have to know basic cable theory, networking, all the major operating systems, telephony and alarm systems. This while having our wages DECREASED yearly. The hours are 7:30am until 8,9,10 pm
Why don’t we quit? Speaking for me, as soon as a non cable position opens up I will take it. One look at the news will tell you why I am not optimistic. That is another factor I almost forgot. These contract companies are taking full advantage of the economy. They take everything but our first born and tell us “If you don’t like it you can walk” knowing full well there is nothing out there.
I am with you in spirit Ron and hope the whole country heres of your fight.
LECOM & KB CONTRACTOR FOR COMCAST TECH IS PICKETING
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Date: 2010-04-13, 8:50PM EDT
Reply to: (-REDACTED-) [Errors when replying to ads?]
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A 40 YEAR OLD FATHER OF 7 RETIRED VETRAN OF THE US ARMY IS PICKETING FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL EMPLOYEES AT LECOM INC. HE HAS BEEN CHEATED ABUSED AND ROBBED OF THE FOOD ON HIS TABLE. WITH HOLDING OF PAY CHECKS FOR PUNISHMENT. DOCKING OF PAY. DISCRIMINATION BASED ON AGE, AND BASED ON LABOR BOARD CLAIMS. ALL OF WHICH MICHIGAN HAS LAWS PROTECTING EMPLOYEE RIGHTS REGARDING THIS. THE EMPLOYEES ARE AFRAID TO LOSE THEIR JOB AND THE FOOD THEY PUT ON THE TABLE FOR THEIR KIDS. THERE IS SO MUCH SHADY THINGS GOING ON AT THIS COMPANY AND JUST PLAIN TO MUCH TO TYPE.
PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT. THIS MAN WILL BE AT THE FRONT OF LECOM INC. BUILDING WITH HIS SIGNS. LOCATION IS ON 13 MILE PAST GROSBECK BUT BEFORE THE RAILROAD TRACKS IN ROSVILLE/FRASER . DAILY OR EVERY OTHER DAY. HONK YOUR HORN, WAVE OR CALL THE NEWS, RADIO OR COMCAST. SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND HELP HIM.
Public Act 390 of 1978, in section 7(1) states; ". . . an employer shall not deduct from the wages of an employee, directly or indirectly, any amount . . . without the full, free, and written consent of the employee, obtained without intimidation or fear of discharge for refusal to permit the deduction."
Agency: Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
an employer can not withhold wages for disciplinary action. All earned wages are required to be paid on the scheduled pay date.
LECOM AND KB SOLUTIONS ARE PARTNERS. THEY RECIEVE CONTRACT WORK FROM COMCAST FOR INSTALLS SERVICE CALLS AND DISCONNECTS.
THIS COMPANY PAYS THEIR EMPLOYEES $7.40 AN HOUR. CHARGES THEM EVERY TIME A CUSTOMER CALLS COMCAST AND COMPLAINS. $20 DOLLARS FOR BEING LATE. $30 DOLLARS FOR GETTING FREE HBO/SHOE TIME ETC TO MAKE THE CUSTOMER HAPPY. BASICALLY IF THE TECH IS ROUTED WITH 3 JOBS FROM 12-3PM WITH 20 MINUTES TO 2 HOURS PER JOB AND 5-30 MILES APART. HOW CAN HE BE ON TIME? HE ISN'T SO HE GETS DOCKED $20 DOLLARS. NOW IF HE MISSED SOMTING AT THE HOUSE RESULTING IN A SERVICE CALL FOR PROBLEMS HE GETS CHARGED $30 DOLLARS. THE SAME GOES IF A SQUIRRLE CHEWS ON THE CABLE LINE TO THE HOUSE, A CAR HITS A POLE. A MAIN NODE IN THE SEVERAL BLOCK AREA GOES DOWN, THE CUSTOMER CAN'T USE THE REMOTE CORRECTLY, OR THEY RUN EXTRA LINES MESSING UP THE SIGNAL IN THE HOUSE. ANY OF THESE MAKE A SERVICE CALL RESULTING IN FREE STUFF TO THE CUSTOMER THAT THE TECH WHO MAKES $7.40 AN HOURS GETS TO PAY FOR. REFUSE TO SIGN AND YOU WILL STILL BE DOCKED X AMOUNT AND SUSPENDED UNTILL YOU SIGN THE PAYROLL DEDUCTION TO MAKE IT LEGAL. WELL LEGAL IN THE VP OF THE COMPANYS EYES.
ASK YOUR SELF DO YOU WANT SOMONE ALLWAYS RUNNING LATE TO JOBS RUSHING YOUR INSTALL OR SERVICE CALL WHO MAKES $7.40 AN HOUR AT YOUR HOUSE? AN EMPLOYEE WHO LOVES HIS FAMILY BUT HATES HIS JOB? AN EMPLOYEE THAT CLIMBS UP THE PHONE POLE JUST INCHES BELOW THE HIGH POWER ELECTRIC LINES IN YOUR BACK YARD.. RUSHING TO GET THE JOB DONE?
IN YOUR BACK YARD!!!!!!!!!
OR THINK ABOUT THIS YOU CALL AND SAY THE GUY WAS LATE AND DIDNT DO A GOOD JOB. YOU GET $20 BUCKS AND FREE HBO. THE TECH GETS $50 TAKEN FROM HIS PAY CHECK. $20 FOR BEING LATE $30 FOR FREE HBO.....
THIS IS LECOM INC POLICY NOT COMCAST. HOWEVER COMCAST ALLOWS IT. AN IN HOUSE COMCAST TECH GETS $14 AN HOUR PLUS BENIFITS A LECOM INC EMPLOYEE GETS $7.40 AN HOUR WITH A $110 CO PAY WEEKLY FOR BENIFITS ($440 COPAY A MONTH) AND MINUS ANY RANDOM PAY DOCKINGS.
TO THE LECOM COMCAST TECH
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Date: 2010-04-14, 6:31PM EDT
Reply to: (-REDACTED-) [Errors when replying to ads?]
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yes i feel your pain bro. this company took alot of money from me as well. i remeber one specific time money was short bills where do the heat was about to be shut off. i got a pay docking. i had to buy the cheap diapers for my baby. they leaked and gave the baby a rash. i had to use them anyways putting extra baby oitment on to prevent the rash. if i had the money i would have pitched the diapers and bought new ones. but the money was in lecom coffers instead. later i found out guys where going to the labor board and getting a check from the state for the amount docked PLUS a check for each day they where suspended. now i protect my self and my baby. i keep a months supply of GOOD diapers and keep the bills paid one month in advance. my kids will NEVER suffer because a company chooses to break the law.
all the guys in my shop are rooting for you we all just got alot of pay dockings this week but we don't want to wait the 6 weeks for the labor board check and the back pay for the time they will suspend us for if we refuse to sign. Untill i find another job ill get into that truck and do my route.
to the customers of comcast i will allways do my best to fix your problem. thankyou for your support.
comcast tech
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Date: 2010-04-15, 12:42AM EDT
Reply to: see below
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cable guy i am sorry to hear about some of your work problems i would of never guesed in todays workforce that this kinda crap happens dose comcast know whats going on this makes dish network or direct sound better than comcast it sickens me to here of story i trully hope that everything works out for you singed a disgusted comcast customer god bless
6286
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Date: 2010-04-14, 10:23PM EDT
Reply to: (-REDACTED-) [Errors when replying to ads?]
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this tech 6286\ron lynch out of 9507 . i am wrighting to say thank you for your support and to let you know i will not stop till we get some help .it is a shame that we should be treated this way. if you are tired of kb or lecom taking your money that you earn to support your familys. speak up now . to any comcast customers this is what comcast techs deel with .they are eleagly backcharged pay when they turn over a line call or comcast equipment is defective or they are late getting to your house when it is comcast who routes them with to many jobs in a time frame .comcast wants to know what they can do to improve customer care but the already know what there doing to us .so mabey the tech at your house is not a bad tech but he pushed for time and afraid to do his job correctly to fix your issue he cant afford to the job right when after all the backcharges have been issued to him he only makes 740 per hour its kb\lecom whos making tons of money off the swetoff our backs these companys are your problem comcast get involved its you who have the power any concerns call
