Monsters at Monster Cable

                                                                                                                        by Pong Louie
January 25, 2007

(San Francisco, CA) Three months after being laid-off, the 120 workers’ struggle with Monster Cable continues.  The workers have only two demands. They want a just severance similar to other severance benefits past workers have gotten and a Community-Worker Transition Fund.  Monster CEO Noel Lee claims that the company can’t afford to meet the demands.  While Monster can’t afford to treat the workers fairly, it can afford to throw a big company holiday party.  It can also afford dozens of expensive, fancy company cars and to throw an extravagant 4000 person concert at the Las Vegas CES.

After a press conference with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on December 6, a later march to deliver candy canes to stores carrying Monster products, a demonstration and “Monsterous” Christmas caroling at the Monster factory, Lee finally agreed to meet with the workers.  He had previously missed a meeting and refused to set up other ones, but this meeting, long in coming, led to nothing.  All Lee did was tell the workers that he can’t afford to treat them fairly. 

So the struggle continues.  On January 10, workers and supporters marched from Yerba Buena Gardens to stores that carry Monster Cable products such as the Apple Store, CompUSA, Radio Shack and then on to the MacWorld Conference and Exposition at Moscone Center.  At each store, protesters handed out leaflets and attempted to speak to the manager.  At CompUSA and Radio Shack, they were turned away.  At the Apple Store, the manager talked to three workers and promised to relay the message to Apple at the district and corporate levels.  At MacWorld, all the protesters entered the Moscone lobby.  They were forced to protest outside, but the public relations manager of IDG, which produces MacWorld, later told protesters that she had contacted Apple and relayed their message and would get a letter from them to Steve Jobs to urge Apple to support them.

Noel Lee and Monster Cable have taken away the workers’ jobs and holiday celebrations, but not their spirit.  They will continue to fight for two demands: Provide a just and fair compensation package which recognizes our years of service.  Contribute to a Community Transition Fund to support laid-off workers in vocational training and job development.  The workers need our support.  Call Monster Cable CEO Noel Lee at: 415-508-0000 (cell) and headmonster@monstercable.com.  Call Apple CEO Steve Jobs at 408-996-1010, Fax at 408-974-2483.  Get the word out..