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Puerto Rico No Se Vende! Strike Against Privatization of Phone Company Dear Friends, Enclosed is a statement from the president of the General Workers Council (CGT) of Puerto Rico and some sample letters to the governor of Puerto Rico, GTE corporation, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, and Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico on the privatization of the telephone company, and the coming workers' strike against privatization. Please send your EMAIL letters and or faxes and circulate this post as widely as possible. Cesar Ayala Puerto Rico No Se Vende! Strike Against Privatization of Phone Company The labor movement in Puerto Rico is preparing for a confrontation against the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. The state-owned corporation is being sold by the administration of governor Pedro Rosello to a group of investors led by GTE Corporation and the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. Both unions of workers in the Puerto Rico Telephone Company have declared themselves against privatization, and they have jointly decided to go on strike sometime next week. Jose Juan Hernandez, president of the Independent Union of Telephone Workers (Union Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos-UIET) and Annie Cruz, president of the Independent Brotherhood of Telephone Workers (Hermandad Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos -- HIETEL) made joint public declarations today of a forthcoming strike. Today, the Broad Committee of Trade Union Organizations (Comite Amplio de Organizaciones Sindicales-CAOS) met to organize support for the forthcoming telephone workers' strike. The two most important government sector unions, the Electrical Workers Union (UTIER) and the Aqueduct Workers Union (UIA), have vowed to support fully the efforts of the telephone workers to stop the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. There has been a broad based movement in Puerto Rico against the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. On October 1 of last year, over 100,000 demonstrators converged on San Juan to protest government plans to privatize the PRTC. That mobilization was the largest demonstration of any kind ever to take place in Puerto Rico. The PRTC is an efficient government- owned enterprise and governor Pedro Rosello's attempt to privatize it is due to an abstract commitment to a neo-liberal economic program, not to a reality of inefficiency of government enterprise, as has been claimed. In fact, consumers who
still remember the time when the local phone company was
privately-owned by International Telephone and Telegraph
agree unequivocally that under government ownership, the
PRTC has provided If the privatization plan is carried out, at least 2,700 workers will loose their jobs in the immediate future, and many more will loose their jobs over the medium term. The Broad Committee of Trade Union Organizations (CAOS) and the General Trade Union Council (Concilio General de Trabajadores-CGT) are organizing a campaign of support for the telephone workers' strike. We are requesting faxed and EMAIL letters to governor Pedro Rosello, GTE, and Banco Popular opposing the privatization of the phone company, and will in the future request donations for the strike fund. Renan Soto, General
Secretary SAMPLE LETTER TO Governor ROSELLO
Dear Mr. Rosello, I am writing to request that you stop the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company and reverse the sale of the company to GTE and Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. Both unions of workers in the Puerto Rico Telephone Company have declared themselves against privatization, and they have jointly decided to go on strike sometime next week. Jose Juan Hernandez, president of the Independent Union of Telephone Workers (Union Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos-UIET) and Annie Cruz, president of the Independent Brotherhood of Telephone Workers (Hermandad Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos --HIETEL) made joint public declarations of a forthcoming strike. Today, the Broad Committee of Trade Union Organizations (Comite Amplio de Organizaciones Sindicales-CAOS) met to organize support for the forthcoming telephone workers strike. The two most important government sector unions, the Electrical Workers Union (UTIER) and the Aqueduct Workers Union (UIA), have vowed to support fully the efforts of the telephone workers to stop the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. There has been a broad based movement in Puerto Rico against the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. On October 1 of last year, over 100,000 demonstrators converged on San Juan to protest government plans to privatize the PRTC. That mobilization was the largest demonstration of any kind ever to take place in Puerto Rico. The PRTC is an efficient government- owned enterprise. Consumers who still remember the time when the local phone company was privately owned by International Telephone and Telegraph agree unequivocally that under government ownership the PRTC has provided better and more efficient service than its private predecessor. If the privatization plan is carried out, at least 2,700 workers will loose their jobs in the immediate future, and many more will loose their jobs over the medium term. The privatization of the telephone company can only bring social unrest in Puerto Rico and increased tensions to your administration. Sincerely, Similar letters could also be sent to the following:
fax letters to GTE to the following two CEOs of GTE or paste it on the internet site of GTE.
Go to & paste your letter there: Send Letters to paste it on this link: ENVIA ESTE MENSAJE A OTROS COMPAÑERAS(OS) Y AMIGOS(AS) Send Message of Solidarity/Support to the Puerto Rican Workers
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