Baja's San Quintin Farmworkers and National Workers Union Sign Agreement of Solidarity Patricia Munoz Rios - La Jornada
go to original July 26, 2015

Representative of San Quintin workers, Fidel Sanchez Gabriel, calls for international solidarity. (Clayton Conn/teleSUR)

In continuing to work to establish their national union, last week the San Quintín farmworkers ratified solidarity agreements with the National Union of Workers (UNT).

At the weekly meeting at the Labor Headquarters, they approved actions for joining an independent union. They also stated that the federal government "has already forgotten" the conflict that led to their movement; thus, they do not rule out further action until the agreements made are fulfilled by the Secretariat of Government Relations [SEGOB].

They also warned that several companies in San Quintin are not only ignoring the payment of the agreed wage increase for day laborers, but that some ranches are even firing workers who participated in the demonstrations.

They declared that various groups of workers in the San Quintin Valley have filed class action lawsuits against farms that are carrying out unjustified dismissals - primarily of workers who participated in demonstrations for wage increases - with the argument that they will be rehired at harvest time. However, they explained that [the employers] put out on the street those who have been most active.

Consequently, there are at least two class actions filed before the Local Board for Conciliation and Arbitration, whose proceedings are set to begin, so representatives of this movement urge establishment of the national union to defend the interests of these workers.

Additionally, they said, farmworkers have not yet been enrolled in social security [primarily, health and pension benefits].

Read the rest at Mexico Voices

Related: Slave in the Fields: A Reporter Goes Undercover in the San Quintin Valley (truth-out.org)

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