|
Public Employee Press
Solidarity is strong at Latin American
labor strategy conference
The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement held its
five-day annual education conference in August in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The summit meeting brought together 1,000 labor leaders and community
activists from throughout the mainland and Puerto Rico. Strategy sessions
and workshops focused on issues such as organizing Hispanic immigrant
workers, building political power, protecting Social Security and the
role of youth in the labor movement.
The overall theme, union solidarity, was highlighted by the historic campaign
organized by a coalition of AFSCME, SEIU, UFCW and the UAW that brought
200,000 Puerto Rican workers into the labor movement. That example
kept popping up throughout the conference, said Santos Crespo, executive
vice president of Local 372, who worked in that campaign. And the
message was that when unions come together we can be successful.
DC 37 and Local 372 President Veronica Montgomery-Costa, Local 1597 President
Edna Williams, Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez, and Local 384 President
Sandy Tucker also participated. In a demonstration of solidarity, the
New York contingent lobbied the governor on behalf of Puerto Rican public
workers who were fighting his plan to cut their wages.
Hispanic union members founded LCLAA in 1972. The group now has 65 chapters
throughout the country and Puerto Rico and has coordinated many voter
registration and organizing drives.
Alfredo Alvarado
| |