picketprotest

Support the Mexican Electrical Workers Union (SME) In Their Struggle Against

Privatization and Union-Busting!On October 10, 2009, more than

44,000 electrical workers inCentral Mexico were locked outof their jobs by the gover-nmentof Felipe Calderón in an attemptto privatize the Luz y Fuerza delCentro (LyFC) public-energy cor-poration and to destroy the power-ful and militant Mexican Elec-trical Workers Union (SindicatoMexicano de Electricistas, orSME).

Since that date, the FederalPreventive Police (PFP) and theArmy have occupied the powerplants and offices. Power failureshave been commonplace inMexico City and the surroundingregion as the “replacement work-ers” do not have the skills andexperience to operate the grid. Infact, many of these workers havebeen killed and scores have beenseriously injured on the job sincethe government’s show of forceagainst the SME.

The Mexican people have takento the streets in demonstrations ofhundreds of thousands to protestthe closing of LyFC, but theirefforts have thus far not been ableto force Calderón, who was im-posed by fraud in the July 2006presidential election, to withdraw adecree that is, moreover, illegal,since only the legislature in Mexico

has the authority to disband a publiccorporation.

The SME workers have sent one

of their central leaders, HumbertoMontes de Oca, to the UnitedStates to organize support for hisunion and for the resistancemovement in Mexico, whoselongstanding struggles againstNAFTA, privatization, union-busting and the entire corporateneoliberal agenda have beenspearheaded by the SME.

These are the demands that theSME has put forward and thatneed the support of unions andpolitical/community organiza-tions and activists acrossCalifornia and the entire United

States:

• Repeal of the Decree abolish-ing the Luz y Fuerza del CentroPower Corp.!

• Removal of the PFP andArmy from all LyFC and SMEinstallations!

• Immediate opening of negoti-ations with the union to find asolution to the conflict!

• Reinstatement of allfired/locked-out workers!

• Recognition and implementa-tion of the union’s collective-bar-gaining agreement!

• Halt to all repression againstthe unions!

• Release of all political prison-ers in Mexico!

Picket @ MexicanConsulate in S.F. Friday, Jan. 29

@ 12 noon532 Folsom St.

(between 1st and 2nd Sts.)For more info, 415-513-5393