Another Thumb Down on EchoStar/Hughes

[Steve Mehs]

The proposed merger between EchoStar and Hughes Electronics took another hit late last week as the AFL-CIO weighed in with its objections.

In a statement from its Executive Council, the 13-million-worker organization cited such factors as Echostar's refusal to "engage in serious collective bargaining" and the company's "actions designed to undermine employees' right to free association" in its resolution. In addition, the big labor group worried about the "20-25 million U.S. households that do not have access to cable television" and "serious anti-competitive harm" from the creation of a DBS "monopoly."

The AFL-CIO says it plans to send copies of its resolution to every member of Congress and each FCC Commissioner.

From SkyReport (http://www.skyreport.com) (Used with Permission)

[jrjcd]

i never thought these words would ever come out of my mouth, but "good for the afl-cio",,,

[Adam Richey]

I can see why people are so hesitant to support the merger, but why couldn't the FCC and DOJ require this "New Echostar" to sign a contractual agreement or obligation outlining what it will do and what it will NOT do? This way, people that are skeptical of motives can be at rest.

[gcutler]

I don't know of the history of such agreements. But it is possible that once the deal is done there is a prescedent of the new merged companies ignoring the agrement or use legal wrangling to avoid the agreement. So maybe they don't do that.

But this is just conjecture on my part, no proof that it happens.

And lately it has reached the point that if 50% of the people told me the sky was blue on a clear day, I would disbelieve them just because there is so much lying going on. Or maybe it should be called "Truth-Lite" :D

[bogi]

AFL CIO is doing great :) They got tons of bought politicans :)

[Adam Richey]

Bought politicians seem to be popping up QUITE a bit when it comes to politicians being against this merger. Is this a coincidence or what?

[invaliduser88]

So, unless they go union, the AFL opposes the merger. Whaaaaaaaa! :p

Sorry but the union works out in the manufacturing facility that I provide IT support to use the union as a shield to doing half*ss work.

Imagine an engineer giving a demo of a new technology to customers and the shop work they ask to demo it just says "That piece-of-**** never worked."

Here's a question. Wouldn't the viewers that don't have cable available in their area pay the same rates as the people who do? Wouldn't they benefit from the competition in the area's that are served by cable?

Whether you are in New York City or Poh Dunk, US, the method of reception is the same and the cost to provide satellite reception is the same.

[Ronmort]

Good for the AFL-CIO. I agree. No merger. It's bad for the consumers as well as Dish employees.

[DarrellP]

And the unions are bad for this country, why don't we do away with them as well? AFL-CIO get lost.

[lee635]

Originally posted by DarrellP
And the unions are bad for this country, why don't we do away with them as well? AFL-CIO get lost.

Yeah, and we'd all be better off going back to the pre-union days. You better lay off the Fox News, that stuff's pickling your brain. (:))

[bogi]

Unions are bad I.E Jimmy Hoffa they are corrupt and only stop the union hierarchy from getting real jobs like their fellow members. I wish that people would have a choice whether to join a union or not.

[Ronmort]

In comparison to the Enron and Adelphia crooks, union leaders seem like choir boys.