18 December 2009
Top union officials affiliated with AFSCME, SEIU, UAW and UFCW are currently occupying the Office of Management and Budget offices in San Juan, Puerto Rico, protesting Gov. Luis Fortuño’s proposed layoff of more than 20,000 workers. Riot police have surrounded the OMB offices. AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee issued the following statement: “AFSCME joins other unions in supporting our brothers and sisters in San Juan who are fighting during this serious economic crisis to protect Puerto Rico’s vital public services. We are very concerned that riot police have surrounded the building. We urge restraint on the part of law enforcement officials during this peaceful protest.”
For more information: AFSCME Website - SEIU Local 1996SPT
16 novembre 2009
At the time of writing this article, SEIU members and leaders were holding a sit-in in Pedro Pierluisi's office, the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, demanding that he reject the anti-worker policies of the Fortuño administration. Pierluisi is the sole representative in Congress of the 4 million American citizens who reside in Puerto Rico.
However, the good news is that the Puerto Rico Government officials has agreed to postpone layoffs for unionised workers until 8 January. Despite this victory for the trade union movement this doesn’t change the fact that nearly 3,000 non-unionised public employees were dismissed on 6 November and that there will be nearly 30,000 fewer public employees on the books in January 2010.
Thousands of Puerto Ricans found a way to express their feelings of frustration and anger as protests and marches marked the dismissals taking place on 6 November, known as “Infamy Day”. Among them, Emil Rivera, a community organiser who is encamped in front of the Special Communities Office in San Juan and started a hunger strike on 2 november in his fight to keep the agency providing services to communities across the island.
Over the past month the voices of a few thousand workers have grown into a movement of hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens, clergy, university students, and labour leaders. The General Strike on 15 October mobilised over 150,000 workers and citizens to protest Governor Luis Fortuño's massive layoffs. Protest actions continued including a rally on 22nd October organised by the coalition “All of Puerto Rico for Puerto Rico” outside a meeting Governor Fortuño was having with business companies to discuss the privatization of public projects and agencies.
PSI will continue to monitor the situation in collaboration with its affiliated unions, SEIU and AFSCME who represent many of the public employees in Puerto Rico.
For more details including photographs: SEIU Local 1996SPT Blog
5 Octobre 2009
Peaceful demonstrators, mostly laid-off workers and union leaders who had chained themselves to the gates of La Fortalez, the official estate of Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuño, were violently removed by SWAT team agents and arrested, despite assurances that they would leave peacefully and not resist arrest. The act of civil disobedience was led by members of the Puerto Rican Workers union, SEIU Local 1996SPT, in reaction to the Governor's announcement on Friday 25 September, to lay off 16,970
government employees. The disproportionate show of force against demonstrators included hitting people with billyclubs and those affected by the police brutality included workers as well as members of the press.
To add to the symbolism of the event, SPT-SEIU members also erected a tent they designated "Camp of Dignity and Shame" outside La Fortalez to protest the anti-worker measure suspending public sector collective bargaining rights and lay-offs order issued by the Fortuño Administration."We have sent a message to thousands of our jobless brothers and sisters that this is not the time to be sad or depressed; the best psychological therapy at this moment is to convert our indignation into action and mobilize to stop this abuse," said Robert Pagán President of SEIU Local 1996SPT.
A day of action and general strike is planned for 15 October, supported by virtually all organised labour in Puerto Rico including SPT and UGT, as well as a broad coalition of religious and civic groups. PSI with with SEIU & AFSCME local affiliates will be fully supporting this day of action, PSI will be sending a delegation to follow events.
You can show support for the Puerto Rican union members of SPT-SEIU by joining their Facebook group here.
24 September 2009
Over 2000 letters were sent to Luis Fortuño, Governor of Puerto Rico, in strong protest of the Special Law Declaring a State of Fiscal Emergency and Establishing a Comprehensive Plan to Stabilize the Economy and Save Puerto Rico's Credit. The Public Law suspends collective bargaining for public employees and enacts a drastic fiscal austerity plan featuring thousands of public sector job cuts.
The dismissals of more than 40,000 public employees, due to take place on 1st July, have so far not happened and PSI believes that this is largely due to the massive support in favour of these workers, including the big public demonstration organised early June and led in part by PSI's affiliate SEIU. A PSI mission, organised in consultation with SEIU & AFSCME local affiliates, went to Puerto Rico with the aim of obtaining further information and expressing PSI concerns to the local authorities. PSI will be following the case very closely.
14 May 2009
PSI is opposing plans put forward by the Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, to dismiss thousands of public sector workers as part of an economic recovery plan to reduce Puerto Rico’s huge budgetary deficit. Whilst PSI recognises the need for bold measures to solve Puerto Rico’s economic crisis, particularly in the context of the global financial and economic crisis, PSI insists that workers should not be made to pay the price for a crisis they did not create.
PSI is asking for letters to be sent to the Governor of Puerto Rico in strong protest of Public Law 7 “The Special Law Declaring a State of Fiscal Emergency and Establishing a Comprehensive Plan to Stabilize the Economy and Save Puerto Rico’s Credit.” Public Law 7 (through Articles 37 and 38) suspends collective bargaining for public employees and enacts a drastic fiscal austerity plan featuring thousands of public sector job cuts. The dismissals will begin on July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.
This measure, suspending for two years all current social protection and industrial relations legislation in Puerto Rico for employees in the public sector, is deplorable. The dismissal of between 30,000 and 45,000 public servants under the new law is counterproductive to any reasonable government policy to combat the economic crisis, and will certainly produce more social and economic problems than it solves in Puerto Rico. At a time when the population of Puerto Rico will be relying more than ever on the efficient delivery of public services, PSI believes that the government should be seeking to strengthen the mechanisms through which those services are provided as well as the quality of those services, rather than dismantling these vital services.
The unilateral suspension of all clauses in the Collective Agreement and measures referring to wage increases and benefits, plans for training and development, paid leave and other matters, goes against all international standards regarding labour and trade union rights.
Lastly, the expected new law setting up a public-private partnership, with the exemption of price-fixing procedures, whereby the new employer will not be obliged to respect pre-existing collective rights won by the workers, and any clauses relating to labour contracts will be disapplied or invalid, is also in violation of fundamental ILO standards and principles and shows a complete lack of respect for workers’ rights.
PSI will express, in all relevant international forums, its protest over plans of the government of Puerto Rico. PSI requests that discussions be held with the public sector unions and with civil society organisations in Puerto Rico concerning viable and sustainable alternatives to solve Puerto Rico’s budgetary problems and ensure a lasting economic recovery while supporting workers’ rights and the delivery of quality public services to the whole population.
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Translation of model letter
The Honourable Luis G. Fortuño
Governor of Puerto Rico
Palacio de La Fortaleza, San Juan
jblanco@fortaleza.gobierno.pr
Fax: 1 787 725-8259
[Name] is deeply concerned about the possibility that thousands of civil servants in Puerto Rico may be made redundant, and the total disregard for trade union rights under Law No. 7 of 9th March, 2009.
This measure, suspending for two years all current social protection and industrial relations legislation in Puerto Rico for employees in the public sector, is deplorable and contrary to all international norms.
The dismissal of between 30,000 and 45,000 civil servants under the new law is counter-productive to any reasonable government policy to combat the crisis and, will certainly produce more social and economic problems than it solves in Puerto Rico. At a time when the population of Puerto Rico will be relying more than ever on the efficient delivery of public services, [Name] believes that your Government should be seeking to strengthen the mechanisms through which those services are provided as well as the quality of those services, rather than dismantling these vital services.
The, unilateral suspension of all clauses in the Collective Agreement and others referring to wage increases and benefits, plans for training and development, paid leave and other matters, goes against all international standards regarding labour and trade union rights, which presuppose that matters agreed during the bargaining process should be respected by the employer, and not suspended as stated in the new law.
Lastly, the expected new law setting up a public-private partnership, with the exemption of price-fixing procedures, whereby the new employer will not be obliged to respect pre-existing collective rights won by the workers, and any clauses relating to labour contracts will be disapplied or invalid, is also in violation of fundamental ILO standards and principles, and shows a complete lack of respect for workers’ rights.
[Name] intends to express, in all relevant international forums, its protest over your Government’s plans and requests that discussions be held with the public sector unions and with civil society organisations in Puerto Rico concerning alternatives to solve Puerto Rico’s budgetary problems and ensure a lasting economic recovery while supporting workers’ rights and the delivery of quality public services to the whole population. Workers must not be made to pay the price for a crisis they did not create..
We wait with interest to see how this measure develops.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
[Name of organisation]
[Country]