USW Charges Mexico Violated Treaty By Ousting Union Leader

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2006/11/13/usw-charges-mexico-violated-treaty-by-ousting-union-leader/


USW Charges Mexico Violated Treaty By Ousting Union Leader

by James Parks, Nov 13, 2006

The United Steelworkers (USW) last week filed a complaint with the U.S. Labor Department charging the Mexican government violated the labor side agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) when it removed Napoleon Gómez Urrutia, the leader of the National Mineworkers’ Union (Los Mineros), from office in February.

The complaint, filed with the U.S. National Administrative Office, also says the Mexican government failed to carry out safety inspections at the Pasta de Conchos mine, where a Feb. 17 explosion killed 65 mine workers.

USW President Leo Gerard said in a statement announcing the complaint that the Mexican government saw Gómez as a threat

because he fought successfully for higher wages, because he engaged in international solidarity, and because he challenged the government-controlled labor federations. They decided to use any means necessary to eliminate that threat.

Under the labor side agreement, the United States, Mexico and Canada agreed to try to attain “high labor standards,” including the freedom to form a union and bargain collectively. The complaint says that freedom was violated when the government illegally removed the elected leader of Los Mineros.

Gómez is a vocal critic of the Mexican government and he condemned former President Vicente Fox’s attempt to outlaw strikes. He also spoke out about the disastrous effects of NAFTA and government-backed free trade policies.

Gómez’s supporters claim the Mexican government targeted Gómez shortly after the explosion in the Pasta de Conchos mine. The mine was owned by Grupo México, the country’s largest mining company. USW members in Arizona struck Grupo México-owned copper mines for four months last year over the company’s refusal to bargain in good faith. Many Mexican union leaders say the Fox regime cynically tried to deflect public criticism of its failure to protect workers’ lives at the mine by shifting blame on to the union.

Many Mexican union leaders say the Fox regime cynically tried to deflect public criticism of its failure to protect workers’ lives at the mine by shifting blame on to the union.The USW complaint says the last inspection of the Pasta de Conchos mine was conducted in July 2004 at the request of the union’s executive committee. One year later, the labor authority issued 34 measures that the company should adopt to correct unsafe conditions in the mine. But it took the company seven months to even respond to the labor authority. On Feb. 7, inspectors showed up at the company that runs the mine but did not conduct a physical inspection to make sure the company was complying with the government’s suggestions. The explosion occurred fewer than three weeks later.

FULL story at link.