February 11, 2008 - Thanks to the emails that you all have been sending in support of the squid workers in Santa Rosalia, at last the Mexican government is paying attention.

In Mexico there is a sub-office of the Federal Labor Board (la Junta Federal de Conciliación y Arbitraje) that is in charge of reviewing the work of public employees.  Because of the huge number of emails that we sent, denouncing the work of the head of the Labor Board in Baja California Sur for her mismanagement of the case of the fired Hanjin Mexico workers, the sub-office took the emails as a signal that the situation required a formal complaint.

The sub-office selected some of the people who had sent emails and then sent these people a letter as a response, informing them that they can file a formal complaint against the Labor Board staff person in charge of the case of the Hanjin Mexico workers, but they had to do so within 5 working days. 

Jan. 24, 2008--Thank you to everyone who sent emails and letters to the Mexican government officials and labor board on our January 9 day of action!  During the workers’ hearing at the labor board on January 11, the labor board officials and attorneys for Hanjin Mexico both expressed concern about the international pressure from supporters like you.  SINTTIM was also able to gain much media coverage in Baja California Sur and the support of a number of state legislators. (Click here for a statement of support, in Spanish, by a BCS legislative deputy.)

Unfortunately, the labor board continues its long delays.  At the hearing, the officials said they had just learned that Hanjin USA and Hanjin Korea, the parent companies of Hanjin Mexico, had not been notified of the hearing, and therefore the hearing had to be re-scheduled to provide time to give them notice.  The new hearing date is now October 3, 2008.

We know that we cannot rely on Mexico’s labor board to fairly and quickly resolve the case of the 92 illegally fired Hanjin Mexico workers.  Nor can or will we depend on the labor board to support the workers organizing for a collective bargaining agreement with SINTTIM as their union.  We need to organize international pressure on the corporations in this industry, such as Hanjin, Brumar, and Longing.  Please stay tuned for more action alerts!

In the meantime, please make a donation to this campaign as SINTTIM and the workers are in dire need of funds to continue this struggle. SINTTIM is an all-volunteer union. Because of a lack of funds, only 2 of the workers were able to make the 9-hour bus trip from Santa Rosalia to La Paz, where the labor board is located, for the hearing. 

You can send a check to our Portland office at 320 SW Stark #427, Portland, OR 97204, or donate online at www.enlaceintl.org. Please be sure to write in the memo line of your check or email us at after you donate online so we know that your contribution is for the Seafood Workers Justice Campaign.

The generous support of our allies like you has helped us carry on the campaign forward!  We very much appreciate any contribution that you can give!

H. CONGRESO DEL ESTADO DE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR
La Paz BCS., 16 de Enero del 2008
BOLETÍN DE PRENSA No. 1097

LA EMPRESA CALAMARERA HANJIN MEXICO VIOLA LOS DERECHOS LABORALES DE LOS TRABAJADORES SUDCALIFORNIANOS DENUNCIÓ EL DIPUTADO NARANJO RIVERA

Los atropellos a los derechos humanos y la reconocida violación a las normas y leyes mexicanas, ha sido el sello característico con el que la empresa coreana Hanjin México sociedad anónima de capital variable que opera en Santa Rosalía ha venido abusando de la confianza y de la oferta de mano de obra de un sinnúmero de personas que fueron despedidas injustificadamente aún aquellas con mas de 7 años de servicio, denunció el diputado Armando Naranjo Rivera.

Since our successful speaking tour for the campaign in March, SINTTIM and the workers have been able to make some advances in the cases of the 92 fired Hanjin Mexico workers whose cases still have not been resolved.  After SINTTIM’s press conference about the tour in March, the government authorities told SINTTIM that they are now working on the cases.

Despite this, nothing happened for more than two months.  SINTTIM and Enlace therefore planned a day of action for June 11.  Enlace sent out an action alert asking supporters to call Mexico’s tourism offices in the U.S. since both the Mexican and the Baja California Sur governments depend on tourism.  On the same day, SINTTIM led a delegation to the offices of the federal labor board (la Junta Federal de Conciliación y Arbitraje) to protest the delay of the labor process and to demand a set date for an official hearing.  The delegation was able to talk with the president of the board.  The following week she gave the workers a hearing date of January 8, 2008, in order to have sufficient time to give notice to Hanjin’s parent companies in Korea and the U.S.

The month of March was very successful for the squid workers of Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur. Two women, Rosa Ceseña Ramirez, fired Hanjin México employee, and Teresa Rosas Castillo, a SINTTIM leader, represented the hundreds of squid workers, traveling from California to Oregon with a goal to find allies and donations for their struggle.

Listen to David Bacon interview fired Hanjin worker Rosa Cesena Ramirez, SINTTIM leader Teresa Castillo, and Enlace co-director Joann Lo about the Seafood Workers Justice Campaign.

Click Here to Listen

Joann Lo of Enlace, a cross-border worker support group, explains environmental and worker rights issues around the Han Jin squid processing plant in Baja California and announces visit of two workers to Portland who were fired for attempts to organize workers.

Click Here to Listen

Por Murielle Coppin
El Otro Periodismo y la Otra Campaña en Baja California

9 de noviembre de 2006

Después de varias visitas el mes pasado en Baja California Sur, el Delegado Zero y la Otra Campaña dejaron La Paz para emprender un largo viaje a la parte norte de esta península poco poblada, famosa en los folletos por sus buenas facilidades turísticas, su rico clima, sus playas maravillosas y campos de golf – sí en medio del desierto. 

Seafood_Workers_Justice_Campaign_endorsement_form.pdf

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