Welcome to the eighth edition of GNN’s exclusive Labor News Roundup. While we remain distracted by a strike by Hollywood writers, the laborers who produce the spectacle of mass media entertainment, other labor-related news is neglected in both the mainstream and “alternative” news services. This roundup is but a small sampling of the many important labor stories breaking all over the world every day. For more international labor news, check out LibCom and LabourStart.

Lost Jobs and Migration: The Real Cost of the Peru Free Trade Agreement: As the corporate colonization and omnicidal assault of the planet continues, a new free trade agreement is in the works with Peru. Other free trade agreements are also in the works with South Korea, Panama, and Colombia. David Bacon writes for TruthOut, “Farmers and workers throughout Central America, who saw what NAFTA did to Mexicans, have protested, marched and even fought in the streets of El Salvador, Guatemala and most recently Costa Rica, to stop ratification of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Now that rebellion is spreading to Peru.” Yes indeed, Mr. Bacon, WE ARE EVERYWHERE! (TruthOut, 11/23/07)

U.S. Labor Activists Petition to Stop Free Trade Push: Labor rights activists in the United States are organizing a campaign to pressure Congress to resist Bush’s new free trade agreements, and are also calling on Congress to modify NAFTA. Haider Rizvi writes for OneWorld.net, “Critics say the current trade policy is deeply flawed because it does not enforce international labor, human rights, and environmental standards. Many also decry the agreements’ economic impacts on working people, both in the United States and elsewhere. NAFTA, for example, has resulted in the loss of 1 million manufacturing jobs in the United States, critics argue.” (OneWorld.net, 11/21/07)

^{Emergency demonstration was held at the Seoul Regional Immigration Office on November 27th. A member of MTU was holding a picket, demanding “Free the MTU President, Bro. Kajiman and Vice-President Raju”.}

South Korea: Stop Crackdown on Migrant Workers! An emergency demonstration was held on November 27th at the Seoul Regional Immigration Office, in response to labor repression and the arrests of MTU President Kajiman, Vice President Raju and General Secretary Masum. “We, the KCTU and the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union call on the international labor and human rights community to do whatever in their power to secure the release of the MTU leadership and end this labor repression against MTU. We, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and affiliate the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants’ Trade Union, make an urgent appeal to you to do whatever you can to support our struggle to free the arrested union leaders and end the barbaric crackdown underway in South Korea. “ (Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, 11/27/07)

Strong women, strong unions: Women are challenging the stereotypes that have long defined Indonesian unionists: In Indonesia, trade unionism has been, traditionally, within the sphere of male-dominated affairs. But since Suharto’s fall in 1998, the gender dynamics within the movement have radically changed. As unionization continues to grow, women are taking their place at the forefront of organization, leadership, and activism. Elena Williams, an Honours student at the University of Sydney, takes a look inside Indonesia’s feminist labor movement. (Inside Indonesia #90, Oct-Dec 2007)

^{Rising prices mean that factory
workers’ pay doesn’t go far}

Vietnamese strike at Nike plant: Demanding better working conditions and higher wages, thousands of workers have gone on strike at a Vietnamese factory producing shoes for Nike. The Beeb reports, “Workers, who produce about 10% of the 75 million pairs of shoes made for Nike in Vietnam annually, want more pay, bonuses and cost of living allowances.” (BBC News, 11/29/07)

French trains ‘hit by sabotage:’ As three-way talks opened in a bid to end the eight-day TGV strike, a “concerted campaign of sabotage” targeted France’s high-speed TGV rail network, causing massive delays. President Nicolas Sarkozy promised severe punishment for those responsible for the strikes. Coordinated attacks took place simultaneously “on lines running north, west, east and south-east out of Paris.” Union officials have also publicly denounced the attacks. (BBC News, 11/21/07)

France: Rail workers end strikes: After nine days of striking, and with their demands still unmet, rail workers in France ended their strikes on Tuesday. Though their demands were not won, the strikes are being hailed as a victory for the rank and file: “It was pressure from the ranks that lead to the unions calling the first strike in October, the largest since 1995, and it was workers that decided to continue that action independently with some staying out for as long as five days. In the west of Paris, for example, workers organised a strike coordination committee immediately and independently of union structures. Faced with such militancy from their own members the unions were forced to call the second strike and to make it an unlimited strike. Although observation generally dropped day by day during the strike there were surges. One of the major problems was that not enough effort as made to win public support, for example at the massive demonstration last Tuesday most of the CGT vehicles were more interested in selling sandwiches and drinks than trying to communicate with other workers. The demonstration on Tuesday took place against the context of the biggest civil servants’ and teachers’ strikes since 1995. The presence of students and schoolchildren as well as electricity and other workers was a good sign.” (LibCom.org, 11/27/07)

Fired Metro Lighting workers respond to anti-IWW screed published in Berkeley Daily Planet: The IWW responds to Christine Staples, who authored an anti-IWW screed entitled “Truth to Power: what Truth? What Power?” on November 16th, 2007. “These accusations are too ridiculous to deserve a response, and they only serve to divert attention from the real issues at the store. Her editorial makes no attempt to deal seriously with the concerns of Metro Lighting’s employees, so we would like to make these real issues known.” (IWW.org, 11/19/07)

Mexico: Garment workers vote in the independent union, but still face uncertain future: Workers in the Grupo Navarra garment factory in Tehuacán, Puebla, Mexico have voted in the leftist FAT (Frente Auténtico de Trabajo), a major victory against the incumbent CROM & CROC unions, “both of which are organs of the PRI-run (Partido Revolucionario Institutional) state government and local labour authorities.” During the organization campaign, somewhere around 50 people lost their jobs, 45 of whom still await reinstatement. “The elections were held in hugely intimidating conditions, with workers having to verbally state their vote to a table comprised of the employer’s representatives and CROC and CROM officials. As such, a victory for an independent union in such conditions should be recognised as an anti-corruption vote, and for the material benefits it is likely bring to the largely indigenous female workforce.” (LibCom.org, 11/28/07; Maquila Solidarity Network, 11/28/07)

Iran: The struggle of the Haft-Tapeh workers: Workers at Iran’s Haft Tapeh sugar factory have been engaged in an ongoing struggle since they went on strike in October, facing State oppression, intimidation, harassment, and arrest. “Workers at the state-owned Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation and Industry Company have gone on strike demanding payment of several months’ unpaid wages. They have gathered in front of the Governor’s Office in Shush city, in Khuzestan province (southern Iran), and say that they will stay on strike until their demands are met. Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network and Workers’ Action Committee (Iran) call on all trade unionists, labour activists as well as progressive organisations and individuals to support the struggle of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane workers for payment of their wages and trade union recognition.” (LibCom.org, 11/18/07)

^{As much as 50 percent of Uzbekistan’s
cotton production may involve children
(AFP)}

Uzbekistan: Call For Boycott Over Uzbek Child Labor: Cotton picking in Uzbekistan—the second largest cotton exporter in the world—involves some 450,000 children, and a policy of deliberate coercion has been adopted by the central government. The “tradition” of using child labor in the seasonal work dates back to Soviet policies, and likely before. Earlier this month, activists launced a new campaign to boycott Uzbek cotton traced to child labor practices. (Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 11/21/07)

^{Stuart Hoynak (left) of Converse, Texas and Bobby
Powell of Atkins, Arkansas respond to the rising fuel
prices that are causing concern in the trucking industry.
[Sarah Alvarado / VDP Staff Photographer]}

High fuel costs least of truckers worries – Mandatory ID cards, new environmental regs: Independent truckers are struggling to keep up with quickly increasing gas prices, but these, it seems are the least of their worries. “Another is the new identification card required to pick up and drop off cargo at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles — the Transportation Workers Identification Credential — which officials plan to roll out as early as December.” Port truckers in Southern California, among the lowest paid in the industry, are also faced with new environmental regulations that would ban trucks made before 1989, with no promises of subsidies to help the drivers buy new trucks. (Victorville Daily Press, 11/14/07)

Workers Bear the Cross: Retailers, Churches Accused of Selling Sweatshop-Made Crucifixes: “With Christmas just over a month away a new report by the National Labor Committee accuses US-based Christian retailers and churches of selling crucifixes made under sweatshop conditions in China. DN! speaks with NLC executive director Charles Kernaghan. The labor rights watchdog announced Tuesday that the crucifixes were made by young women working 14- to 25-hour shifts for less than half of China’s legal minimum wage. The report implicated the New York City-based St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity Church, and, at the national level, the $4.63 billion dollar Association for Christian Retail. The Association for Christian Retail rejected the claims in the report and called them “irresponsible and unfounded.” They noted that the report lacked specific evidence and said that their retailers had recently found cleaner factories, improved living conditions, and increased wages at crucifix production centers in China. St. Patrick’s Cathedral did not respond to Democracy Now! but has reportedly joined Trinity Church in pulling crucifixes from their gift shops. Trinity Church told Democracy Now! that they “do not support manufacturers who are associated with sweatshop labor.” Trinity Church had thought the crucifixes had been manufactured in Italy, they added.” (Democracy Now!, 11/21/07)

CT News To Become Vermont’s First Union Affiliated Media: Workers at CT News in Vermont have voted for unionization in affiliation with the Teamsters. According to a press release, “On Saturday, December 1st, 2007, Catamount Tavern News will sign a letter of intent with the Lithographers Local 1L-Teamsters, making CT News the first union affiliated media source in the State of Vermont.” “We understand our affiliation with the Teamsters as an important event in the history of news & media in Vermont. Catamount Tavern News is fortunate in that we are worker-owned and controlled and therefore do not have many of the problems that traditionally managed publications often experience. However, by joining the Teamsters we hope to serve as an example to workers at other Vermont newspapers who are in serious need of union protection,” said News Editor David Van Deusen. (Infoshop News, 11/29/07)

Solidarity Forever!

Action against Greenkett company: “On 9th of November 2007 in Steszew, near Poznan, Workers’ Initiative organized a picket in front of the company’s building. The reason for the action was an illegal dismissal of one of the syndicate’s members Lukasz Sybilak. Among the 30 protesters there were IW’s activists together with the workers from H. Cegielski Poznan company. In March 2007, trying to break up the syndicate, which was demanding better working conditions and higher salaries, Greenkett illegally fired two other members of Workers’ Initiative Jolanta Szypura and Aurelia Wlodarczyk. In Labour Court both sides came to an agreement, in which the company agreed to pay the dismissed workers 6000zl (1 euro = 3,6 zl) of indemnification together with the trial costs. As a result of a collective labour dispute the syndicate has achieved i.a. 10 % of salary increase, better working conditions and the pay of social benefits. Workers’ Initiative will continue the struggle. There has been formulated new demands concerning the working conditions and salaries (i.a. the pay of allowance for prejudicial work). Greenkett Polska is a part of a multinational corporation Grupo Ig, which maintains its subsidiaries in Slovakia, Brasil and USA. The plant in Steszew, built few years ago, employs about 120 workers.” (Workers’ Initiative Poland)

Report on Autumn 2007 WSM National Conference: “The Workers Solidarity Movement held its Autumn 2007 National Conference in Dublin on the 3rd/4th November. National conferences take place every six months and are the prime decision making body on positions and priorities for the organisation. All WSM members can attend, vote and submit motions and amendments either as individuals or as groups. National Conference opens with reports by various office holders, editorial committees etc., followed by questions and open discussion.” (Anarkismo, 11/26/07) [Italiano]

• Industrial Worker – Issue #1701, November 2007 [PDF] » » »

This week’s Labor History Spotlights:

1766: The Real del Monte miners’ strike: A short history of the first ever strike in North American history, by Mexican silver miners. (LibCom.org)

1915: The murder of Joe Hill: The story of the death of the American trade unionist, revolutionary and popular song-writer Joe Hill, framed for murder and executed. (LibCom.org)

The working class in Iran: some background – class struggles from 1979-1989 – Mostafa Saber: Some excerpts from A Brief Look at the Situation of the Working Class in Iran, a short description of workers’ history and conditions – and their struggles during and following the 1979 Revolution. (LibCom.org)

LabourStart: Where trade unionists start their day on the net.

This roundup was compiled by GNN contributor and blogger Nathan Coe. Nathan is a guerrilla journalist and activist residing in the mountains of Southwest Colorado, where he is a senior in college working on his Major in Humanities. He can be contacted at free_world_alliance(at)yahoo.com or via his blog at ShiftShapers.gnn.tv.