Open
World Conference of Workers
In Defense of Trade Union Independence & Democratic Rights
OWC - Open World Conference in Defense of Trade Union
Independence & Democratic Rights, c/o S.F. Labor Council,
1188 Franklin St., #203, San Francisco, CA 94109.
Phone: (415) 641-8616 Fax: (415) 440-9297.
Dear Endorsers of the Campaign in Defense of the Daewoo Workers:
Thanks to your support and to the active solidarity of workers and youth
in Mexicali, the International Campaign in Defense of the Fired Daewoo
Workers has scored its first victory.
Gemma Lopez Limon, a senior researcher at the University of Baja
California in Mexicali and lead organizer of the Daewoo Workers Defense
Committee, reports the following from Mexicali:
"Last Thursday (March 11), the fired general secretary of the
union-in-formation at Daewoo, Juan Carlos Espinoza Bravo, was called into
the Junta de Conciliación y Arbitraje for a hearing on his claim that he
was fired unjustly. He was the first of the five workers to come before
this Board. The others are scheduled to appear in the next four weeks, one
at a time each Thursday.
"The Defense Committee supporters of Brother Espinoza Bravo were so
numerous and noisy that they totally rattled the members of the Board and
of the company who were present. The supporters also brought in statements
of support for the reinstatement of the five fired workers from union
officials and activists from across Mexico and around the world. (Many of
these statements had been sent to them by fax or email.)
"In the course of the hearing, representatives of Daewoo management
announced this had all been a misunderstanding, that Brother Espinoza
Bravo had not, in fact, been fired. Proof of this, they said, was the fact
he could return to his job the very next day -- which is exactly what he
did!
"The next day Brother Espinoza Bravo returned to his job, to the
great applause and euphoria of all his coworkers. The cheering was
deafening."
The Struggle For the Reinstatement of All the Fred Workers
and For an Independent Union at Daewoo Remains!
According to Sister Lopez Limon, the struggle must continue with even
greater energy -- to win back the jobs for the other four workers, and to
win back pay for all the fired workers, who have been out of work since
last September. Securing victories for all five workers will strengthen
the campaign to build a genuine and independent union to improve the wages
and working conditions of the Daewoo workers.
Sister Lopez Limon sends her heartfelt thank-you message to the scores of
unionists and activists who across the United States sent messages of
protest to the authorities in Baja California on behalf of the Daewoo
workers. She asks that we keep up the campaign on behalf of the other
fired workers, as well.
Sister Gemma Lopez Limon also asks all supporters of labor rights -- all
fighters in defense of the maquiladora workers -- to help their defense
committee build broad support for the Conference in Support of the Daewoo
Workers on April 24th in Mexicali. She said this conference could put the
issue of independent unions on the map in Mexicali. Other maquiladora
workers will be there -- particularly from the Flor de Baja plant, where
another organizing drive is under way.
The Conference will be held at the Mexicali campus of the University of
Baja California. We will send out more details as they become available.
On behalf of all of us on the OWC Continuations Committee, we would like
to thank you for your support, and we call on you to help us promote as
widely as possible the call for the April 24th Conference in Mexicali to
help these workers build an independent union in their factory.
In solidarity,
Alan Benjamin
Co-coordinator, OWC Continuations Committee
San Francisco Labor Council (AFL-CIO)