Courtesy / Charter Communications
Tom Rutledge
March 18, 2022
A cable company with Maine footprint boosts starting wage to $20
Courtesy / Spectrum
Telecom and cable TV company Charter Communications, known as Spectrum, is raising its minimum wage to $20 an hour.
By Jessica Hall
Charter Communications Inc., the nation's second-largest cable company, said it has set a minimum starting wage of $20 an hour, fulfilling a goal that began in 2018 with the establishment of a $15 minimum starting wage.
Mainers know the company as Spectrum, which provides cable and internet service to 464,000 customers in 294 communities, according to a company fact sheet.
As of Dec. 31, 2020, Spectrum had 680 employees in Maine, with employee centers in Portland, Augusta and Bangor.
Stamford, Conn.-based Charter (Nasdaq: CHTR) said in April 2020 that it would permanently raise its starting wage to $20 an hour in 2022, which is nearly triple the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, with annual increases of $1.50 an hour in 2020 and 2021.
Maine’s minimum wage is $12.75 an hour, but many companies have implemented higher minimum wages to attract workers in the tight labor market.
“Our $20 an hour starting wage is an important investment in our highly skilled employees, who deliver connectivity and entertainment to more than 32 million customers,” said Tom Rutledge, chairman and CEO of Charter.
Charter is currently hiring for 2,500 positions across its 41-state service area. In 2021, Charter promoted more than 13,000 employees, and saw nearly 2,200 employees choose to return to the company after accepting positions elsewhere.
In November, Spectrum, the brand name for Charter’s services, said it was looking to hire as many as 175 customer service representatives for its Portland call center, as it shifts its focus to supporting the company's wireless network.
Charter’s U.S.-based workforce totals 93,000 employees.
In addition to a $20 minimum starting wage, employees receive health and retirement benefits, as well as education assistance.
With 26 million subscribers in 41 states, Charter is the country's second-largest cable operator, just behind Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA).
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