Nahant board adds resolution attachment to Comcast contract, requests response

NAHANT – The Board of Selectmen voted to attach a resolution supporting Comcast workers’ unionization efforts – and requesting acknowledgement of the town’s support – to a signed contract rather than insert the language into the document, citing a desire to avoid reopening the long negotiation process.”The contract has been negotiated over the last six to seven months and the resolution wasn’t placed in because it wasn’t negotiated,” said Board of Selectmen Chair Richard Lombard. “To add that in at the last minute would not be fair to Comcast?(But) I hope to receive a letter back saying they will look into this and that they know the Board of Selectmen of Nahant is in favor of this (resolution).The town has completed negotiating to renew Comcast’s 10-year license to provide cable services for the town, Town Administrator Mark Cullinan explained. Members of The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) asked Selectmen at the Board’s March 24 meeting to adopt a resolution that Comcast abide by labor laws and respect its workers’ unionization efforts. At their April 7 meeting, selectmen Elaine Titus and Richard Lombard voted in favor of the resolution (Selectman Michael Manning was not in attendance) which has been adopted by the Cities of Cambridge and Springfield and many towns on Martha’s Vineyard.But Town Counsel Charles Riley told Selectmen on Thursday night that inserting the language into the contract would require reopening the negotiations process. He added that sending the resolution as an attachment to the contract would be appropriate given that the contract was a service license not a labor contract.”In the whole contract, there’s only one paragraph that refers to Comcast employees: it says they must have an I.D. Card when they perform services in Nahant,” noted Selectman Michael Manning.Lombard said, however, that if Comcast did not reply to their concerns, the town could vote to reopen negotiations. “We want this cover letter to be serious,” he said, requesting that the language indicate that the Selectmen expected a written response from a Comcast official. “We can vote and go back in and put it in the contract. Town employees who are unionized do a fantastic job and I support the unions.”The board voted 2-1 in favor of attaching the resolution and requesting a response. Selectman Manning dissented.”Part of the language implied that Comcast dealt unfairly with employees and I don’t know that’s true,” Manning explained after the meeting.In other business:u Town Moderator David Conlin and Advisory and Finance Committee Chair Joyce Maroney explained the 22 articles on the warrant for Saturday’s Annual Town Meeting. Conlin said he expected Town Meeting to finish the articles in a single session but, if not Town Meeting would reconvene Tuesday, May 3. The most controversial article is a $264,000 override to fund Johnson School contingent on passage of a ballot question in the Town Election, which is held the same day. Conlin explained that if the ballot question passes and the article at Town Meeting fails, then the town will have to hold a Special Town Meeting if it wants to appropriate the money for the school.u The re-dedication of the Nahant Life Saving Station will be held Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m., with an open house of the facility, a pie contest and lots of other food. All are welcome.