AUT: Han Young: arrest warrants target union reps

[Eduardo Azmitia <lazmitia@xxxxxx>]

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>Date: Thu, 22 Oct 1998 14:15:30 -0700 (PDT)
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>From: Campaign for Labor Rights <clr@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Han Young: arrest warrants target union reps
>
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>HAN YOUNG: ARREST WARRANTS TARGET UNION REPS
>posted October 22, 1998
>
>[Information provided by staff of the Support Committee for Maquiladora
>Workers, who ask that activists seeking updates contact Campaign for Labor
>Rights: (541) 344-5410, <CLR@xxxxxxxxxxx>]
>
>***********************************
>See ACTION REQUEST, at end of alert
>***********************************
>
>Mexican judicial police on October 20 sought to locate and arrest Enrique
>Hernandez, who is the general secretary of the October 6 independent union
>(which represents the Han Young workers) and also is one of the presidents
>of the Baja state National Union of Workers (UNT, a national labor
>federation of independent unions and unions that have broken off from the
>CTM, the largest government-affiliated labor federation in Mexico. The UNT
>is an effort to create a federation that will involve democratic membership
>participation.). The judicial police also sought to arrest Jose Angel
>Penaflor, the attorney for the October 6 union. Neither man was in the
>office at the time the police arrived (and tried to arrest Jose Angel's
>brother, mistaking him for Jose Angel).
>
>In May, when the Han Young workers went on strike, warrants were issued for
>the arrest of Hernandez and Penaflor based on a ridiculous and completely
>false claim that they had forcibly detained the manager of the Han Young
>factory. The union was able to get injunctive relief preventing the arrests.
>However, such relief is time-limited and the injunctions expired a few weeks
>ago.
>
>The union suspects that the renewed effort to arrest union leadership is a
>government harassment of the Han Young workers and is in response to the
>union's recent victory in court with regard to the situation at the Axiohm
>factory. On October 14, 350 workers at the Axiohm factory in Tijuana (which
>produces printer devices for ATM and lottery ticket machines) won an appeal
>in Mexican federal court. The Axiohm workers had voted to be represented by
>the October 6 independent union founded by the Han Young workers. When the
>Axiohm workers submitted a contract to their employer, the Tijuana labor
>board said that the October 6 union didn't have to be recognized for
>negotiation purposes because another union might want to represent them,
>which was a patently absurd reason. The workers filed an appeal of this
>decision and the federal court overturned the labor board decision.
>Technically, now the labor board should insist on negotiations between the
>company and the workers as represented by October 6 but so far the workers
>haven't heard a response from the labor board.
>
>NOTE: The local labor board has historically worked under the direction of
>the Baja State Governor's office. The previous Baja California Governor, who
>made his anti-union position clear, died a few weeks ago. Therefore, it
>would be very useful to make sure that the next governor gets the message
>that there is international concern about this situation.
>
>******************
>ACTION REQUEST
>******************
>
>1) Please send the letter below to Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, with a
>cc to Baja Governor Alejandro Gonzalez Alcocer and please email or fax the
>SIGNATURE / ADDRESS PORTION of your letter to Campaign for Labor Rights.
>
>2) Please call the Mexican embassy in Washington, DC to express your concern:
>General number for the Mexican embassy in Washington, DC: (202) 728-1600
>Number for the consular section at the Mexican embassy in DC: (202) 736-1000
>
>Talking points:
>*   Express your concern that the judicial police are seeking to arrest
>leaders of the October 6 union on ridiculous charges, in violation of the
>workers' constitutional right to belong to the union of their choice.
>*   The treatment of the October 6 union by the Baja government raises
>serious questions about Mexico's interest in complying with the NAFTA labor
>side accords that are supposed to ensure freedom of association and the
>right to organize. The Han Young workers have been on strike since May 22,
>with the local labor board acting in clear and blatant violation of Federal
>Court injunctions, and yet there has been no enforcement action by the
>federal government.
>*   The federal Minister of Labor should take jurisdiction of the Han Young
>case and other actions involving independent union representation.
>*   The Mexican federal government, as already requested by U.S. Secretary
>of Labor Alexis Herman, must intervene to seek a speedy resolution upholding
>the workers' freedom of association and right to strike. The long delay
>itself constitutes irreparable harm to workers' rights.
>
>Please send an email to Campaign for Labor Rights at <CLR@xxxxxxx> notifying
>us that you placed a call to the embassy.
>
>3) Continue to organize leafleting and picketing at Hyundai Motors
>dealerships. These actions send shock waves to Hyundai management in South
>Korea.
>
><><><><><>
>
>Ernesto Zedillo
>President of Mexico
>Fax: 011-525-515-4783
>Email: webadmon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>Dear President Zedillo:
>
>I am deeply concerned about reports that, on October 20, judicial police
>sought to arrest Enrique Hernandez, general secretary of the October 6 union
>in Baja California, and Jose Angel Penaflor, attorney for the union. The
>charges against these men are ridiculous and this action is a violation of
>workers' constitutional right to belong to the union of their choice.
>
>The treatment of the October 6 union by the Baja government raises serious
>questions about Mexico's interest in complying with the NAFTA labor side
>accords that are supposed to ensure freedom of association and the right to
>organize. The Han Young workers have been on strike since May 22, with the
>local labor board acting in clear and blatant violation of Federal Court
>injunctions, and yet there has been no enforcement action by the federal
>government.
>
>For these reasons, the federal Minister of Labor should take jurisdiction of
>the Han Young case and other actions involving independent union
representation.
>
>Also, the Mexican federal government, as already requested by U.S. Secretary
>of Labor Alexis Herman, must intervene to seek a speedy resolution upholding
>the workers' freedom of association and right to strike. The long delay
>itself constitutes irreparable harm to workers' rights.
>
>I will continue to follow events through the reports of reliable human
>rights organizations. I hope to learn that you have played a role in
>resolving this situation in the interests of justice.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>NAME:
>
>ADDRESS:
>
>cc: Baja Governor Alejandro Gonzalez Alcocer, fax: 011-526-558-1178 or
>011-526-558-1179; and Campaign for Labor Rights, fax: 541-431-0523, email:
><CLR@xxxxxxx>.
>
>
>



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