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In a recent letter to AFL-CIO president John Sweeny, Federico Torres-Montalvo, president of the Puerto Rican Workers' Central (Central Puertorriqueña de Trabajadores) rejected organizing attempts by AFSCME organizers in this island. Following is a copy of the letter:
February 26, 1996Mr. John J. Sweeny
President
AFL-CIODear Mr. Sweeny:
We address ourselves to you as representatives of the "Central Puertorriqueña de Trabajadores", an organization which has over 30,000 workers from different sectors, but in their mayority are from the public sector.
We have confronted some difficulties in the past with the AFL-CIO in Puerto Rico although these difficulties were overcome and during the last 15 years we have been succesful in working through Action Unity ("Unidad de Accion") together with our co-worker Valentin (Chiro) Hernandez and with the AFL-CIO Workers' Federation ("Federacion del Trabajo").
However, Mr. Gerald W. McEntee and Jose La Luz came last year to Puerto Rico and they have been developing an organizing campaign in the public sector which threatens to affect the good relationship which we have obtained through our great struggles with the rest of our co-workers at the AFL-CIO here in Puerto Rico.
Mr. Jose La Luz has raveled a dirty campaign with his intervention in places where our organizations exist, in some cases for more than 20 years. AFSCME pretends to unrecognize the existence of public employees' organizations and the work each of them do on a daily basis. His conduct, which he carries out on behalf of AFSCME, is one of sindical piracy and is backed up by the employer who has tried to create internal conflicts obstructing the workers to succeed in building a strong organization which can obtain necessary vindications.
Although we have philosophical differences with the AFL-CIO, we do believe that we can work jointly in many areas and we have certainly done so with the Workers' Federation ("Federacion del Trabajo"), with Chiro Hernandez and with other Federation leaders and all of whom deserve our respect. However, deeds being performed in Puerto Rico by AFSCME and Jose La Luz deserve our repudiation since it puts at risk the unity work performed throughout many years and the relationship which we have worked to develop with our leaders and other AFL organizations.
Mr. Sweeny, we request your inmediate intervention on this matter in order to avert that which we all wish to avoid.
This petition is made in accordance to our National Council ("Consejo Nacional") which met last Saturday, February 17th, and approved by Resolution in reference to this matter. A copy of said document is herein enclosed.
Awaiting your response to this matter, we remain,
Cordially yours,
(signed)
Federico Torres Montalvo
President
Date: Mon, 6 May 1996 21:23:10 CDT
In article <199603112230.OAA09136@igc3.igc.apc.org<,
Sender: Activists Mailing List <ACTIV-L@MIZZOU1.MISSOURI.EDU>
From: Servidores Pzblicos Unidos de PR <afscmepr@igc.apc.org>
Organization: SPUPR
Subject: Re: PR Workers Reject AFSCME intervention
Carlos Quiros <cquiros@igc.apc.org> wrote:
Reply-To: Carlos Quiros <cquiros@igc.apc.org>
From: Carlos Quiros <cquiros@igc.apc.org>
Subject: PR Workers Reject AFSCME intervention
In a recent letter to AFL-CIO president John Sweeny, Federico Torres-Montalvo, president of the Puerto Rican Workers' Central (Central Puertorriqueña de Trabajadores) rejected organizing attempts by AFSCME organizers in this island.
The following is the reply from the local AFL-CIO leadership regarding the letter from Federico Torres Montalvo and his assertion that Puerto Rican workers have rejected AFSCME's efforts in organizing the public sector workers.
March 18, 1996Mr. Federico Torres Montalvo
President
Central Puertorriqueña de Trabajadores
G.P.O Box 3084
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-4064Dear Brother Torres Montalvo:
Your letter of February 26 makes a number of charges against our affiliate, AFSCME, which we have investigated. Contrary to your assertions, the activity of AFSCME in Puerto Rico is in response to the wishes of the employees of the central government.
These employees are largely underepresented and have established a new organization under their democratic control, Servidores Publicos Unidos de Puerto Rico and its affiliation with AFSCME reflects the desire of those workers.
AFSCME is committed to responding to those workers and the AFL-CIO supports AFSCME wholeheartedly, as well as any other union committed to organizing and fighting to obtain justice for workers.
The Puerto Rico labor movement, like the labor movement on the mainland, suffers from the low percentage of the overall workforce that is within our collective ranks. The AFL-CIO has decided that this problem must be confronted directly and, under the new leadership of President John J. Sweeney, is devoting unprecedented resources to organizing. That same committment must be made to organize the unorganized in Puerto Rico and the AFL-CIO pledges to make that commitment.
Fraternally,
Valentin "Chiro" Hernandez
President
Federacisn del Trabajo de Puerto Rico AFL-CIO
PO Box 19689
Fdez. Juncos Station
Santurce PR 00910