Violence Explodes at U.S.-Owned Mexican Plant, After Firm Ignored Workers’ Pleas (and photo)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6363/violence_explodes_at_johnson_controls_after_firm_ignored_workers_pleas/

Tuesday August 24 3:12 pm

By Roger Bybee


One of the two beaten members of Mineros union's executive committee, outside Johnson Controls' factory in Puebla, Mexico on August 16. (Photo courtesy of Maquila Solidarity Network)


Alarmed by the unresponsiveness of local Johnson Controls management in Puebla, Mexico, over violation of their labor rights by company collaboration with bogus "protection unions" at three plants there, a delegation of union members traveled in mid-June to Johnson Controls' headquarters just outside Milwaukee, Wisc.

But the 1,758-mile trip proved futile. Top executives at the Fortune 500 firm rejected the idea of meeting to dissuss the problem of "protection unions," although the situation had clearly been heating up in Puebla.

Finally, the unresolved tensions boiled over on August 16, when thugs brutally attacked democratic union leaders on Johnson Controls property.

Asked late Monday if the corporation now regretted the chance to meet with the Puebla delegation in the wake of the August 16 violence, Johnson Controls spokeswoman Debora Lacey responded, "I'll look into that."

In late May, a three-day strike by workers at the Johnson Controls Interiors/Resurreccion plant succeeded in ousting the COS protection union. The militant and democratic Mineros union won recognition on May 29. But the corrupt COS was not about to take this setback lying down, any more than the Mafia lets somebody get away without paying their protection money.

PROTECTION UNION STRIKES BACK

So on August 16, a group of thugs stormed the Interiors/Resurreccion plant, stated the Maquiladora Solidarity Network (MSN), which supports labor and human rights at mostly U.S.-owned plants in Mexico. According to the Network:

FULL story at link.

[safeinOhio]

1. The global economy

calls for global trade unions.

[burnsei sensei]

2. +1

Unions are the historically proven method for putting the corporatists in their place and creating a middle class from a mass of the desperate impoverished.
Do not trust the corporate rich to give you sustenance or make you prosperous.
The prosperity of workers is in the hands of workers alone. Unite and fight, you have nothing to lose except your chains.

[annabanana]

13. Wobblies arise!

IWW has a job to do.

[madrchsod]

3. johnson controls shut down a plant my town

160 people out the door...moved the operation to mexico.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Mexican Unions will react much faster than ours

I am almost willing to predict the owners made a mistake.

Knowing a bit about Mexican Law and Mexican Labor Tradition... just call it a sneaky.

[Coexist]

5. thanks for posting this

[iamtechus]

6. Mexican workers should be reminded of Emiliano Zapata

It was Zapata who told impoverished sharecroppers: "It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees"

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Being that this is the 100 anniversary of that

and the 200 anniversary of the war of independence. trust me, they are getting a reminder.

[Omaha Steve]

9. Thank you for the reminder

At some point American workers will start to wake up. I just hope it is soon.

[chemenger]

11. VIVA ZAPATA!!!

n/t

[Greyhound]

8. K&R

[Selatius]

10. Obviously, the Mexican authorities are not doing anything to reign in these thugs.

In the absence of law and order, violence becomes the default position regrettably for people fighting for freedom and dignity and a better life.

[ThomWV]

12. "US-Owned Mexican Plant" ... is that where they make all the Mexicans?

[Vinca]

14. Johnson will now pack up and leave for Bangladesh.

If you can't exploit the workers, it's not American business.