SEATTLE LABOR DELEGATION TO PROTEST PRIVATIZATION AT U.S. EMBASSY IN EL SALVADOR

May Day Solidarity Delegates will report-back on May 16th from 7-9pm at the Washington State Labor Council offices.

Labor activists, union members, and workers across the U.S. are preparing to go to El Salvador for the Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador’s (CISPES) May Day delegation from April 27 to May 4th. Labor organizers and workers who are organizing for their rights in the Pacific Northwest will be joining forces with union members in El Salvador to speak out against corporate shortcuts across the globe and the U.S.-backed Public-Private Partnership (PPP).

Four delegates from the Seattle area, including a Sea Tac airport worker who is organizing for a union, will be joining 13 other U.S. delegates and taking off for the Central American country’s capital city, San Salvador. The delegates will be reporting about their time in El Salvador on Thursday, May 16th from 7-9pm at the Washington State Labor Council building, 314 1st Ave W  Seattle, WA 98119.

The delegates will be presenting to the U.S. Embassy and labor groups in El Salvador on the impact of privatization on workers’ rights. The delegation is designed to highlight the kinds of wage cuts, union busting, and rising costs to consumers that people in the U.S. have seen because of privatization of basic human rights such as education and water and to bring that to El Salvador as a trade of solidarity. Earlier in February, Salvadoran union leader Alex Gomez toured the U.S. and spoke out with Seattle workers at the Sea Tac airport. At the date of the airport workers’ union campaign launch, Sea Tac airport worker and May Day delegate Socrates Bravo turned to Gomez and said, “We are struggling here and you are struggling there…hopefully we can help each other.”

United States Ambassador Mari Carmen Aponte has threatened to withhold U.S. aid if El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly does not pass the PPP, which would privatize the country’s airports, water, electricity, and higher education, among other public sectors. According to Seattle CISPES, the United States is pushing this law because it would open El Salvador up for exploitation by transnational companies who could disregard human and environmental rights easily under the PPP.

In the past, El Salvador has been able to defeat privatization of healthcare in 2002 and water in 2007, for example, and CISPES hopes to replicate the labor solidarity model that has worked in the past alongside the strong social movement in El Salvador. Several labor groups throughout the U.S., including Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, will be including their own statement against the PPP in the Salvadoran media on May Day, while the delegates will be marching with over 75,000 people for international worker’s day.

For more information please contact Kaeley Pruitt-Hamm, Seattle CISPES coordinator, at (206) 325-5494 or seattle@cispes.org.

[lang_en-us]What: Musical May Day Delegation Send-Off!
When: Saturday, April 20th, 7-9:30pm
Where: Union Cultural Center; 8th and King in International District

Join us for a send-off party for May Day delegation delegates who are traveling to El Salvador April 27th- May 4th! Come for lots of live music and help us reach our goal of $600. If we don’t reach it, amazing workers who are organizing for their rights will not be able to join forces with union members in El Salvador to speak out against corporate shortcuts and the horrible Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in El Salvador! For example, if we don’t raise $400 more before April 25th, an airport worker from Sea Tac who is organizing for a union, will not be able to go present to the U.S. Embassy and labor groups in El Salvador on the impact of privatization on workers’ rights When workers unite worldwide, corporate shortcuts don’t fly!
Labor activists, union members, and workers across the U.S. are preparing to go to El Salvador for the Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador’s May Day delegation. We will speak out at press conferences at the U.S. embassy, meeting with anti water privatization groups, and join the May Day demonstrations with tens of thousands of people marching for the rights of the working and poor majority. Please pass this on! Email seattle@cispes.org for more information. [/lang_en-us]

[lang_es]
Que: Una despedida musical para la delegación del día de mayo
Cuando: Sábado, el 20 de abril, 7-9:30 PM
Dónde: Union Cultural Center, 803 S King St en International District
Vienen por un montón de música en vivo y ayudarnos a alcanzar nuestra meta de $1500. Si no lo alcanzamos, trabajadores increíbles que son organizando para sus derechos no van a poder unir con miembros de sindicatos en El Salvador para hablar sobre atajos corporativos y el ley de Asocio Publico Privado. Esto va a ser una fiesta para los que van a ir en la delegación a El Salvador el 27 de abril – 4 de mayo. ¡Cuando trabajadores se unen en un nivel mundial, atajos corporativos no vuelan!

Vienen por un montón de música en vivo y ayudarnos a alcanzar nuestra meta de $1500. Si no lo alcanzamos, trabajadores increíbles que son organizando para sus derechos no van a poder unir con miembros de sindicatos en El Salvador para hablar sobre atajos corporativos y el ley de Asocio Publico Privado. Esto va a ser una fiesta para los que van a ir en la delegación a El Salvador el 27 de abril – 4 de mayo. ¡Cuando trabajadores se unen en un nivel mundial, atajos corporativos no vuelan!
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[lang_en-us]What: Teach-In at UW – From the TPP to the PPP, Militarism to Immigration, Connecting our Struggles So United, We Win
When: Thursday, April 11th 6-8pm
Where: University of Washington, HUB 337 Student Center
Who: Seattle CISPES, Washington Fair Trade Coalition, Witness for Peace NW, United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS),  SUPER UW, and others!
Why: Come for a chance to gather and collaborate! At this forum, the above organizations will share lead campaigns, priorities, actions both short-term and long term, all in the collective spirit of challenging current corporate domination.

We will have a series of presentations from different social justice and labor organizations in the Pacific Northwest to discuss the main issues to focus on in terms of fighting corporate domination such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and examples of both the negative effects of globalization as well as the hopeful success stories of how to combat it will be addressed. Topics will include the Public Private Partnership (PPP) in El Salvador, immigration as a product of trade deals such as the PPP and the TPP, and how students with USAS accompanied factory workers in El Salvador and won many campaigns pressuring universities to cut ties with transnational corporations using sweatshops.

This is meant to be an opportunity to invigorate campus/community solidarity and collectively strengthen our movement. Potential outcomes could be collaboration on upcoming actions, a decision to have more regular dialogues such as these, or just a better understanding of our focuses in 2013. We will have a series of presentations from different social justice and labor organizations in the Pacific Northwest to discuss the main issues to focus on in terms of fighting corporate domination such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), and examples of both the negative effects of globalization as well as the hopeful success stories of how to combat it will be addressed. Topics will include the Public Private Partnership (PPP) in El Salvador, immigration as a product of trade deals such as the PPP and the TPP, and how students with USAS accompanied factory workers in El Salvador and won many campaigns pressuring universities to cut ties with transnational corporations using sweatshops. [/lang_en-us]

[lang_es]Evento Pasado:

Que: Foro en la Universidad de Washington – del TPP al PPP, militarismo a la inmigración, la conexión de nuestras luchas para que juntos, ganamos
Cuando: Jueves, 11 de Abril 6-8pm
Dónde: La Universidad de Washington, HUB 337 Student Center
Quien: Seattle CISPES, La coalición justo comercial de Washington, Testigos por la paz del noroeste, Estudiantes unidos en contra de fábricas clandestinas (USAS), SUPER UW ¡y más!
Porque: ¡Venga para una oportunidad para juntar y colaborar! En este foro, los organizadores de arriba van a compartir campañas dirigidas, prioridades, acciones de corto y largo plazo en el espíritu colectivo de la dominación corporativa actual.
Esto pretende ser una oportunidad para vigorizar la solidaridad del campus/la comunidad y colectivamente fortalecer nuestra movida. Los resultados potenciales podrían ser la colaboración de próximas acciones, la decisión de tener más diálogos habituales como estos o simplemente tener una mejor comprensión en lo que enfocaremos en 2013. Vamos a tener una serie de presentaciones de diferentes organizaciones laborales y de la justicia social en el noroeste pacifico para discutir las temas principales para enfocarse en términos de luchando contra la dominación colectivo como la Asociacion Trans-Pacifico (TPP) y ejemplos de los efectos negativos de la globalización así como historias de éxito de cómo combatirlo serán discutido. Temas incluyerán la ley del Asocio Publico Privado (PPP) en El Salvador, la inmigración como producto de acuerdos comerciales como el PPP y TPP y como los estudiantes (USAS) acompañaron trabajadores comerciales en El Salvador y ganaron varias campañas que presionaron que las universidades terminaron su relación con corporaciones transnacionales usando fábricas clandestinas.

Esto pretende ser una oportunidad para vigorizar la solidaridad del campus/la comunidad y colectivamente fortalecer nuestra movida. Los resultados potenciales podrían ser la colaboración de próximas acciones, la decisión de tener más diálogos habituales como estos o simplemente tener una mejor comprensión en lo que enfocaremos en 2013. Vamos a tener una serie de presentaciones de diferentes organizaciones laborales y de la justicia social en el noroeste pacifico para discutir las temas principales para enfocarse en términos de luchando contra la dominación colectivo como la Asociacion Trans-Pacifico (TPP) y ejemplos de los efectos negativos de la globalización así como historias de éxito de cómo combatirlo serán discutido. Temas incluyerán la ley del Asocio Publico Privado (PPP) en El Salvador, la inmigración como producto de acuerdos comerciales como el PPP y TPP y como los estudiantes (USAS) acompañaron trabajadores comerciales en El Salvador y ganaron varias campañas que presionaron que las universidades terminaron su relación con corporaciones transnacionales usando fábricas clandestinas. [/lang_es]

[lang_en-us]

By Allison Rodriguez, Seattle CISPES Spanish Intern

Here is a video of Alex Gomez’s statement of solidarity with Sea Tac workers, along with Socrates of Sea Tac Airport!

During the first week of February, Seattle CISPES had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Alex Gomez, Treasurer of the Federation of Public Service workers in El Salvador during the labor tour. His first stop in Washington was SeaTac Airport, where he spoke with workers about the unfair conditions parallel to those that workers struggle with here by giving a solidarity statement.  Alex highlighted that there is international solidarity lacking in El Salvador as well as here in Seattle. Socrates, a SeaTac Airport worker, gave his own statement about the struggles as airport workers as well as hope for forming a union which has been a year in the making.

For months, SeaTac airport workers have been fighting for better wages and fair treatment. According to Puget Sound Sage, there are likely thousands of poverty wage workers employed at SeaTac.  In December, we all heard about SeaTac workers being exposed to toxic chemicals, human waste and even a lack of training which put these workers in dangerous conditions. It has been at least three years that we have been hearing about Alaska Airlines cutting costs and having poverty wage workers.

Dreading the Public-Private Partnership law, workers would suffer lay-offs and even lower wages. In El Salvador, the law is currently under debate. Unions in El Salvador are uniting in order to stop the passing of this law, and are relying on the help and support of international solidarity. El Salvador is trying its best to avoid the passing of this law which would turn state resources into private hands. [/lang_en-us]

[lang_es]

Por Allison Rodriguez, Voluntaria de Seattle CISPES

Durante la primera semana de febrero, CISPES Seattle tuvo el placer de conocer y hablar con Alex Gómez, el presidente de SITRALONB (el sindicato de trabajadores nacionales de lotería) y tesorero de la federación de trabajadores del servicio público (FESTRASPES) durante la gira laboral. Su primera parada fue en SeaTac donde habló con trabajadores del aeropuerto dando una declaración de solidaridad sobre las condiciones injustas similares a los de aquí.

Alex recalcó que existe poca solidaridad en El Salvador así como en Seattle. Socrates, un trabajador del aeropuerto SeaTac dio su propia declaración sobre la lucha de los trabajadores así como esperanza de formar un sindicato que lleva un año en desarrollar.
Los trabajadores de SeaTac han sido luchando por meces para mejores sueldos y un tratamiento justo. Según Puget Sound Sage, es probable que existan miles de personas que reciben salarios bajos  en SeaTac. En diciembre, recordamos la noticia sobre los trabajadores de SeaTac que fueron expuestos a excrementos humanos e incluso la falta de entrenamiento que lo pusieron en condiciones peligrosos. Ha sido por lo menos tres años que hemos escuchado que Alaska Airlines está reduciendo costas y contratando personas que le pagan menos.
Los trabajadores temen la ley de Asocio Público-Privado porque crearía despidos y salarios aún más bajos. En El Salvador, la ley está en debate. Los sindicatos en El Salvador están uniendo para parar la aprobación de la ley y confían en el apoyo de la solidaridad internacional. El Salvador está tratando de evitar la aprobación de la ley que cambiaría los recursos del estado en unos privados. [/lang_es]

CISPES Brings Labor Leader to Discuss Strategies for Cross-Border Collaboration

Contact: Kaeley Pruitt-Hamm – seattle@cispes.org, (509) 680-4212

See a video summary of the tour here!

From February 2nd-5th, Alex Gomez, Treasurer of the Federation of Public Service Workers of El Salvador (FESTRASPES), was in Seattle for a series of events involving Pacific Northwest labor groups, sponsored by the Seattle chapter of CISPES (the Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador).

Members of the public, union, labor, and trade justice organizations gathered and spoke out with Alex in solidarity with workers worldwide fighting corporate shortcuts like the Public-Private Partnership.

Salvadoran unions have put out a call for cross-border solidarity in their struggle against a  US-backed Public-Private Partnership (P3) Law proposal that threatens to give corporations more power through the privatization of public sectors such as higher education, sea and air ports, water, and electricity in El Salvador.  During his visit, Gómez spent time highlighting issues Salvadoran workers face as well as provide support to parallel struggles in the Pacific Northwest. On Saturday night, Gomez arrived at Sea Tac airport and held a speak-out at Baggage claim 16, making a statement of solidarity with airport workers organizing for their rights at Sea Tac. A Sea Tac worker and a crowd of supporters welcomed him with a statement of worker-to-worker solidarity, as airports would be the first on the chopping block if the PPP law was passed. On Sunday, he met with the Salvadoran Committee, and on Monday Feb 4th, he met with over 15 representatives of labor organizations ranging from the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO to SPEEA to the International Longshore Warehouse Union Local 19 (ILWU 19) at the Labor Temple and discussed how unions can pressure the United States and the Salvadoran Legislative assembly to not push the P3 law through. SPEEA and others committed to sending letters to key members of the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly, and hundreds of signatures were collected for a petition to the U.S. Ambassador urging her to stop threatening to withhold aid if El Salvador doesn’t pass the privatization measure.

Later that day, representatives of the labor organizations and a crowd gathered in front of the World Trade Center by the port and held a public speak-out condemning US support for the P3 Law. and Alex concluded his Seattle portion of the tour with a presentation to the public at Seattle University. This tour has shown that workers in the Pacific Northwest have seen the common thread of corporate greed cutting corners at the expense of the working and poor majority across the globe and have committed to supporting El Salvador. “We’re not against trade,” said Stan Sorscher, of SPEEA, “We can still have trade but it can be fair and just.”

“This law is being pushed by the United States government in El Salvador because it sees that in El Salvador there are natural resources that their corporations could make a profit off of, and that there are state services that are provided to people that could be a lucrative private business,” said Alex on Monday. “That’s why the solidarity of Seattle and US workers is so important, because we know that it’s the US government that is pressuring Central American governments, and particularly El Salvador, to pass this law that would turn the few state resources we have over to private hands.”

Alex finished his first leg of the tour with a lively 50-person discussion at Seattle University, and on February 5th he made his way to Los Angeles, stopping in Olympia, Portland, the Bay area, and other areas for the tour events.

Labor allies in El Salvador have also requested that U.S. union members visit El Salvador for a week this May to be in solidarity with and learn from their struggle, as well as to share lessons from the work of U.S. unions fighting against similar issues. To learn more information on the speaking tour or the May Day delegation, contact Kaeley at (509) 680-4212 or email seattle@cispes.org.

Sign the online petition to denounce the US strong-arm tactics to force the P3 or Public-Private Partnership Law in El Salvador. CISPES’ goal is to collect 500 signatures by Feb 11, when Salvadoran labor leader Jaime Rivera and CISPES will deliver the petition to the State Department at the close of the tour.

See a video from the speak-out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pn52eLGG0hc

See David Ayala, Salvadoran CISPES member, and Kaeley Pruitt-Hamm, Seattle CISPES coordinator speak on KEXP radio:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRW2xlN5Ogc&noredirect=1