CWA urges regulatory scrutiny of the Charter-Cox merger

Cable giant Charter Communications plans to acquire Cox Communications in a $34.5 billion deal that the companies hope will position them to better compete for fixed and mobile broadband subscribers. The merger, if approved, would create the largest ISP in the US, with 69.5 million passings and 35.9 million residential and business broadband subscribers.

While Charter's CEO claims this deal will be “good for America” and “return jobs from overseas,” Charter has a record of anti-union actions that keep wages low and workers disempowered. When Charter workers went on strike in New York City, the company sought to decertify the union, and ultimately, those workers lost union representation after five years on strike. US antitrust regulators have acknowledged that labor markets are anticompetitive today because employers hold disproportionate power over workers. Without collective bargaining rights for workers, a deal like this one will further entrench the power of cable giant Charter to squeeze workers harder. 

“Today, workers are coming together in the telecom industry to raise wages and improve conditions by organizing unions. Regulators and elected officials should carefully scrutinize this merger and, if it is allowed to move forward, require conditions to protect the public interest and workers' rights,” said CWA in a statement. 

Links:

CWA statement on proposed merger of Charter and Cox (CWA, May 16, 2025)

When a Company Tries to Decertify Its Union (In These Times, Feb. 25, 2019)

Cable companies Charter and Cox agree to merge (CNBC, May 6, 2025)

Charter, Cox Pitch Merger to FCC (Broadband Breakfast, June 16, 2025)

Charter Communications and Cox Communications announce definitive agreement to combine companies (PRNewswire, May 16, 2025)