TITLE: Election For Duro Workers Likely Next Week!

AUTHOR:

ORG: Campaign for Labor Rights & Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras

DATE: January 26, 2001

Despite recent intimidation and violence against DURO workers, there is reason to believe that the Mexican Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board will order a recuento (election for union representational rights) at the Duro Paper Bag maquila to be held next week. This is a huge step forward in the Duro workers' struggle. The workers have been demanding a recuento (election) for several months. Through a long, difficult and determined struggle, workers at the Duro Bag maquila in Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas won legal recognition for their independent Duro Workers Union last August. They have been fighting ever since to get the Mexican government to call an election (recuento) for workers to decide whether that union will have sole bargaining rights to represent the workers in collective bargaining with Duro. The workers are currently officially represented by the Paper Workers Union of the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), a PRI-affiliated union that has colluded with the company against the workers. On January 19, the 30 members of the Coalition for Justice in the Maquilas (a tri-national NGO) board of directors met with Virgilio Mena Becerra, Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board President, in Mexico City to urge him to honor the Duro workers legal right to a recuento. Becerra said he would look at the situation, but gave no promises. When Duro workers presented a petition to the Federal CAB in Mexico City last week, 20 burly CROC, a PRI-affiliated union (the PRI was the ruling party in Mexico for over 70 years), thugs showed up and attempted to provoke a fight. Experienced observers of the Mexican labor scene indicated that the company directly paid the thugs for this intimidation, and that it is evidence that Duro Bag Manufacturing Company, has decided to use violence against the workers. On January 23, the General Secretary of the CTM Paper Workers Union, Eduardo Castillo, unexpectedly traveled from Mexico City to Rio Bravo. There, he met with the 150 fired Duro workers at the encampment in the town plaza that they have maintained for 7 months. Castillo attempted to bribe the workers not to participate in the union election by offering them reinstatement to their jobs, back pay, better working conditions and other incentives. The workers, knowing that the ability to negotiate in the future will depend on getting the union they support recognized, rejected the offer. ACTION REQUESTS Elections Observers Needed The Coalition for Justice in the Maquilas is seeking religious, human rights, and labor officials who can travel to Rio Bravo on short notice, and at their own expense. Having a credible group of observers will be very important to help ensure that the election proceeds without violence or intimidation by PRI-affiliated unions, and that it occurs without fraud. If you or someone from your organization can serve as an observer, please contact Martha Ojeda at the CJM office (210-732-8957) immediately. Send A Fax or Email to the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board Express support that the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board has set a date for the recuento, and let them know that you are following the Duro situation closely. Demand their assurance that the election be conducted fairly and freely, without violence, intimidation, or fraud. Lic. Virgilio Mena Becerra President of the Federal Conciliation and Arbitration Board Fax/ Ph: 5722-8768--5722-8769, (You need to ask for fax tone)--5761-0022 Email: vmena@stps.gob.mx Bcc: CJM@igc.org   Dear Lic. Mena Becerra: I am writing regarding the case of the 150 fired Duro workers in Rio Bravo, Mexico. I have been following this struggle closely, and have recently heard that an election will be scheduled for next week. I hope that given the past violence which has been perpetrated against these workers, that the labor authorities will ensure that the election is conducted by secret ballot, in a neutral place and that workers are permitted to exercise their right of freedom of association to vote fairly and freely, without violence, intimidation, or fraud. Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated! Sincerely, (your name)   Send a Fax or Email to the CEO of Duro Please fax or email the Duro Bag Manufacturing Company, and demand that they respect the right of Duro workers to freely choose their own representatives. Insist that Duro not employ violence against the workers.   Charles Shor, CEO Duro Bag Manufacturing Company Ludlow, KY Fax: 606-581-8327 Phone: 800-879-3876 Email: cshor@durobag.com and/or info@durobag.com     Dear Mr Shor: I have been informed that it is likely that an election will be held next week at the Duro Bag Manufacturing Company in Rio Bravo, Mexico. Given the history of violence and abuse of workers' rights at the plant, I am asking that you take all possible steps to ensure that the right of Duro workers to freely choose their own representatives be fully respected and that local company officials do not employ, permit or facilitate violence against the workers. I will be monitoring this situation carefully. Sincerely, (your name)   BACKGROUND ON DURO STRUGGLE The Duro plant is a maquiladora located in the city of Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas bordering Pharr, Texas, and about 15 minutes from Reynosa (across the US border from McAllen, TX). Duro assembles gift bags for different corporations such as Hallmark and Neiman Marcus. The company is privately held, family-owned, and is based in Ludlow, Kentucky. Duro workers put up their strike banners on June 12 in order to establish an independent union and to force the reinstatement of their elected leaders who were illegally fired. They have been occupying an encampment in Rio Bravo's town plaza since that day. The workers demand the right to be represented by a union willing to negotiate better working conditions such as: medical attention inside the plant, life insurance, bathroom breaks, basic safety equipment and sanitary conditions in the bathrooms and cafeteria. The governor's office has acknowledged that Duro has some of the worst working conditions of any of the maquiladoras (factories producing for export) in the area. The workers were forcefully and illegally removed from the Duro premises by police armed with machine guns on the first day that they put up their strike banners. Mexican law grants workers the right to strike and to close the production facilities with such banners. Solidarity, Daisy Pitkin National Campaigns Coordinator Campaign for Labor Rights 1247 "E" Street SE, Washington, DC 20003. Phone: 202-544-9355, fax: 202-544-9359 Trim Bissell, National Co-Coordinator Emily LaBarbera-Twarog, National Co-Coordinator, Daisy Pitkin, National Co-Coordinator END top