“We must stand in solidarity with workers in Mexico and around the world,” says Phil Neuenfeldt, Secretary Treasurer of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. “As long as multinational corporations can silence employees by threatening to move operations to a place with fewer worker protections, our standard of living will continue to decline.”
FINSA workers are fighting for the right to establish an independent, democratically run union. Although the company has repeatedly refused to meet with workers in the past, the attention from the press conference forced management to receive letters of support delivered by the delegation.
State Sen. Spencer Coggs, Chair of the Senate Labor Committee, spoke at the press conference and delivered a letter of support signed by other state legislators including Rep. Pedro Colón. According to Coggs, “Johnson Controls operates three different plants in Puebla, and they have already done the right thing by letting workers form an independent union at one location. This time we hope that workers can be heard without resorting to a strike.”
Michael Rosen from AFT Local 212 worked closely with the U.S. Labor Education in the Americas Project (USLEAP) to coordinate this visit and media event. Wisconsin union members and community supporters from AFT, IAMAW, MALC, UA, UAW, UFCW, USW, Voces de la Frontera, and WFNHP-AFT showed up at the press conference to express their support.
Workers at the FINSA plant have organized the Organizing Coalition of Workers of Johnson Controls (COT-JC) to form an independent and democratic union and recently signed affiliation cards to the Mexican Mineworkers (Mineros). Since February 2009, the COT-JC has attempted to contact Milwaukee management about these issues, but the company continues to refuse to meet with workers.
Labor and academic experts estimate that about 90% of all collective bargaining agreements in Mexico are negotiated with company-funded unions whose sole purpose is to protect corporate interests. This has real consequences for workers north of the border too. The JCI Milwaukee auto part jobs that were lost to outsourcing in Mexico are just one example. U.S. owned companies comprise 60% of the multinational corporations operating in Mexico, many of which allow protection contracts.
The Glendale press conference earned extensive media coverage including stories from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Magazine’s News Buzz, In These Times, Wisconsin Public Radio, Workers Independent News, ABC-WISN Channel 12 news, CBS WDJT Channel 58 news, NBC-WTJM Channel 4 news, and Fox WITI Channel 6 news. Milwaukee Public Television’s Spanish language program ¡Adelante! conducted interviews to air later in the week. A few sample press clips are listed below.
CBS-WDJT Channel 58 news:
http://www.cbs58.com/index.php?aid=12819
In These Times story from local labor writer Roger Bybee:
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6120/johnson_controls_bad_faith_on_both_sides_of_rio_grande/
Milwaukee Magazine’s News Buzz:
http://www.milwaukeenewsbuzz.com/?p=123290
To read more about the events leading up to this press conference and the ongoing struggle for workers' rights in Central and South America, visit the USLEAP website:
http://usleap.org/major-victory-johnson-controls-workers-mexican-plant-struggle-goes-second-factoryhttp://usleap.org/johnson-controls-refuses-meet-workers-puebla-mexico
(Top Photo: The visitors from Puebla were given a warm welcome on Thursday night at Conejito's Restaurant in Milwaukee. (from left to right) State Sen. Spencer Coggs, MALC Secretary Treasurer Sheila Cochran, former FINSA worker Isidoro Jorge Aguila Lara, Voces de la Frontera Vice President Juan Luis Gutierrez, Lupita Aguila of USLEAP, Carlos Esquer from los Mineros, State Rep. Barbara Toles, and Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Phil Neuenfeldt.
All other photos taken at the Glendale press conference. Top Right Photo: State Rep. Barbara Toles, Michael Rosen of AFT 212, and former JCI Puebla worker Isidoro Jorge Aguila Lara with former JCI Milwaukee worker and current IAMAW Lodge 66 Secretary Treasurer Doug Curler. Left Photo: Voces de la Frontera Executive Director Christine Neumann Ortiz. Bottom Right Photo: Doug Curler of IAMAW Lodge 66, speaking about his experience as a dislocated worker.
Credit for All Photos: Jenissee Volpintesta. For more pictures from the press conference, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wisaflcio/sets/72157624327085080/)
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