Grupo Mexico Workers' Strike at Mine Declared Illegal

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aaFmFu.8pJg8&refer=news

By Andres R. Martinez

Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Grupo Mexico SAB, the country's largest mining company, won its bid to have a five-month strike at its Cananea copper mine declared illegal after losing $600 million in sales.

Mexico's labor board ruled today that the strike can't be allowed because the 1,500 workers at Cananea didn't follow proper procedure when they walked out July 30, according to a statement from Mexico's Labor Ministry. The workers were ordered to return within 24 hours.

``We expect production to resume soon,'' said Juan Rebolledo, a Grupo Mexico vice president, without giving a specific date.

Grupo Mexico is now a step closer to opening Cananea, Mexico's largest copper mine. The company has been plagued by walkouts since 2006, with workers demanding more pay and better conditions. Striking employees at the San Martin zinc mine and Taxco silver mine aren't affected by today's ruling.

Police used tear gas to remove workers today who blocked an entrance with a truck, Rebolledo said. No one was injured and there were no other reports of violence, he said. The union said some workers were injured. Dozens of workers have since returned to work, Rebolledo said.

The union will appeal the board's decision, spokeswoman Carmen Romero said. The chances of the court siding with the union are much smaller this time, she said.

FULL story at link.

Viva la Unity!

Tells the tale of a real life strike by Mexican-American miners. The story is set in a remote New Mexico town where the workers live in a company town in company owned shacks without basic plumbing. Put at risk by cost cutting bosses, the miners strike for safe working conditions. As the strike progresses the issues at stake grow beyond that, driven by the workers' wives. At first the wives are patronized by the traditional patriarchical culture, however they assert themselves as equals and an integral part of the struggle, calling for improved sanitation and dignified treatment. Ultimately, when the bosses win a court order against the workers preventing them from demonstrating gender roles reverse with the wives taking over the picket line and preventing scab workers from being brought in while the husbands stay at home and take care of house and children.

This film was selected for the National Film Registry in 1992 by the Library of Congress. It became public domain after its copyright was not renewed in 1982.

"Salt of the Earth" was produced, written and directed by victims of the Hollywood blacklist. Unable to make films in Hollywood they looked for worthy social issues to put on screen independently. This film never would have been made in Hollywood at the time, so it is ironic that it was the anti-communist backlash that brought about the conditions for it to be made. In many ways it was a film ahead of its time, mainstream culture did not pick up on its civil rights and feminist themes for at least a decade.
http://www.archive.org/details/salt_of_the_earth

Have you ever watched Bread and Roses?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212826/

Maya is a quick-witted young woman who comes over the Mexican border without papers and makes her way to the LA home of her older sister Rosa. Rosa gets Maya a job as a janitor: a non-union janitorial service has the contract, the foul-mouthed supervisor can fire workers on a whim, and the service-workers' union has assigned organizer Sam Shapiro to bring its "justice for janitors" campaign to the building. Sam finds Maya a willing listener, she's also attracted to him. Rosa resists, she has an ailing husband to consider. The workers try for public support; management intimidates workers to divide and conquer. Rosa and Maya as well as workers and management may be set to collide.

Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}