May 2, 2007 Update: Seafood Workers Justice Tour

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.

Rosa and Teresa gave presentations at colleges, universities, worker centers, and unions and in numerous communities, explaining the inhumane conditions that the workers are living through and their campaign to win justice in their workplace. They also gained a wide range of media coverage all over the United States.

At the same time in the state of Baja California Sur, members of SINTTIM had a press conference informing the community of the squid workers campaign and of the tour that Rosa and Teresa were on. The press conference provided almost immediate results. Six months ago SINTTIM filed new claims with the government labor agency (La Junta de Conciliación y Arbitraje) for the unjust firings of 92 Hanjin Mexico workers whose original complaints had been unfairly dismissed.  These claims had not gone forward with any of the labor authorities, and it was only after the press conference that the authorities told SINTTIM that they are now working on the cases.

On the speaking tour the workers were able to gain the support of hundreds of activists and members of the community.  They were also able to gain the support of 5 Los Angeles-area college students to conduct research for the campaign.

If you would like to endorse the Seafood Workers Justice Campaign please click here to fill out a form.
http://www.netraising.net/images/enlace/Seafood_Workers_Justice_Campaign_endorsement_form.pdf

We have also gained the support from the following organizations:
· Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), LA
Chapter
· Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 270
· Engineer And Scientists of California Local 20 IFPT
· Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9423
· La Lucha Unida de Jornaleros, Oakland
· Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United Healthcare Workers – West
· Carpenters Union Local 405
· United Associations (UA) Local 393
· United Food & Commercial Workers – Local 5
· South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council
· Central Oregon Labor Council (AFL-CIO)
· Teamsters 206
· Inland Boatmen Local 8
· SEIU Local 1877
· Latino Caucus, SEIU 521
· Latino Caucus, SEIU 721
· SEIU Local 503
· SEIU Local 1000
· Teamsters Local 890
· Teamsters Local 287
· Central Labor Council of Alameda County
· Piñeros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN)
· Jefferson Center
· Jobs with Justice
· Portland Central America Solidarity Comittee (PCASC)
· The Cross Border Labor Organizing Council (CBLOC)
· SEUI Local 521
· UCLA Labor Center
· Berkeley Labor Center
· Multi-ethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network (MIWON)
· The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 33
· National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 82 (NALC)
· Campaign for Labor Rights (CLR)
· Painters And Tapers Local 507

All of our supporters may not be listed as we continue to receive letters and phone calls from other groups, asking how they can help.

Visa Denied to SINTTIM Secretary General

The Seafood Workers Justice Tour was planned to include three women from Mexico: Raquel Espinoza, Secretary General of SINTTIM; Rosa Ceseña Ramirez, a worker fired by Han Jin Mexico for organizing; and Teresa Rosas Castillo, a leader of SINTTIM.  The three submitted to the American embassy in Tijuana the same invitations to travel to the U.S. for the tour, including from the UCLA Labor Center and the UC Berkeley Labor Center, but on the day of their visa interview, Rosa and Teresa were called to speak with one consulate staff member while Raquel was called in by another consulate staff member.  It seemed that the consulate staff already had all the information on the three women.  They only asked Teresa and Rosa a few questions about Santa Rosalia, their hometown, and then immediately they approved their visa.

Raquel’s treatment was very different.  From the beginning, the words that the consulate staff member used were very forceful, aggressive and rude.  Raquel recalls the staff member saying: “So you work as secretary general of SINTTIM and without a salary… this is impossible.  You can’t work in a union with receiving a salary.” “You cannot have a visa because you are a candidate to stay in the United States, you do not have strong ties that unite you to Mexico.”

The cost for just applying for the visa came out to $800 U.S.—for her travel to Tijuana from La Paz, her Mexican passport fee, the visa application fee, and hotel, food, and transportation in Tijuana.  But for all that expense, it appears that the American embassy denied Raquel a visa because she is not married and she is an activist for social justice.