Contract talks affecting a unit of Comcast workers have boiled over prompting the union to file a complaint with the Chicago Cable Commission, accusing the company of discriminatory pay practices against black workers, and to hold a strike authorization vote Wednesday night.

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 21, whose contract with Comcast expires today, represents roughly 80 mostly African-American cable installers, service repair and line maintenance workers at the company. The workers provide video, high-speed data and telephony services and are based out of the company's West Cortland Street facility. They make considerably less than their non-union Comcast counterparts who perform the same work, said Jerry Rankins, business representative for the union.

In a letter sent earlier this month to the commission, the union alleged its member technicians' starting pay rate at Comcast is roughly $10.70 per hour, compared with $13.65 per hour paid to non-union starting techs at the company. The union said the top hourly pay rate for the Cortland-based technicians is $23.83, compared with $28 for non-union technicians.

Comcast's conduct violates the city's cable ordinance, which bars pay discrimination, the union said in its complaint. The company also is violating its cable franchise agreement and the City Council's 2002 resolution authorizing the transfer of the cable television franchise to Comcast, the union contended.

The union is seeking a public commission hearing and also is lobbying aldermen for action.

The commission is reviewing the complaint, said Bill McCaffrey, a city spokesman, who declined further comment.

Comcast will respond to the city concerning allegations raised by the union, spokesman Rich Ruggiero said. He declined further comment on the complaint, but did say that if a work stoppage takes place, the company doesn't expect customers to be affected.

IBEW, which began contract negotiations with Comcast in April, could not provide the results of its strike authorization vote by press time.