Castulo Rodriguez: Death threats don't deter him

[Omaha Steve]

http://aflcio.org/aboutus/heartofthemovement/hom_castulo_rodriguez.cfm

For Castulo Rodriguez, trade unionism that crosses national borders isn't just a pleasant slogan. It's what he does every day.

Rodriguez is in charge of the Monterrey, Mexico, office of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee ( FLOC ). That's the union of migrant agricultural workers who work with crops mainly in Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina ranging from cucumbers and tomatoes to cotton and Christmas trees.




Nearly all are from Mexico. Many regularly return home in winters. And since the lives of FLOC members are transnational, so is Rodriguez's job.

On one day, he investigates a North Carolina grower who's bypassing seniority rules in hiring. The next day, he files a grievance against a recruiter in Mexico trying to violate the FLOC contract and charge fees to a worker seeking a job. These recruiters can (and do) easily exploit migrant workers who aren't in FLOC—but in the case of a FLOC member, Rodriguez can force the recruiter to refund the money immediately.

Yet another critical job for Rodriguez is maintaining a network of FLOC workers in Mexico using small community meetings, phone contacts and foot traffic between villages that have no phone service.

Rodriguez's job also clearly has its risks. FLOC staff literally have been attacked for their efforts to help workers win a voice on the job. Rodriguez's co-worker, Santiago Rafael, was tortured and murdered in FLOC's Monterrey office last year—the killers have never been found—and the office has been the target of several break-ins and thefts of office equipment.

Yet Rodriguez is not deterred.

FULL article at link.