Date: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 13:31:25 -0700
Sender: Activists Mailing List <ACTIV-L@MIZZOU1.missouri.edu>
Subject: 6 Mexican Union Organizers Fired
Written 8:18 AM Apr 6, 1995 by labornotes in igc:reg.mexico
"6 Mexican Union Organizers Fired"
CLEVELAND-BASED COMPANY FIRES SIX MEXICAN UNION ORGANIZERS

Cleveland based company fires six Mexican union organizers

From Labor Notes, 6 April, 1995

In the last two weeks, Industrias Kirkwood in Mexico City (a U.S. owned auto parts company) fired six union leaders for organizing a protest and presenting these demands to management:

Repair of the ramshackle bathrooms. Clean up of the eating area.
Order the police who search workers as they leave the plant to refrain from touching women in an immoral manner.
Put a leash on the production manager for abusing his position by pressuring women to accept dates with him.
Tell the supervisors to ease up on production demands as workers are already pushed to the limit.
Stop changing work shifts arbitrarily, day-to-day.
Consult with the union shop committee before firing anyone.

Kirkwood's 250 workers in Mexico City have been let down by two government-dominated union federations. They want to be represented by STIMAHCS, a metalworkers union affiliated with the only independent, democratic labor federation in Mexico, the Authentic Labor Front (FAT) who has been the leader for these basic demands.

The company with the help of one of the old corrupt unions tried to pressure four members of the democratically elected shop committee to voluntarily resign and accept severance pay--signing away their rights under Mexican law. The four refused. They were fired. Two others were later fired. Then the company hired thirty workers from one of the official unions to provoke and intimidate the workers.

Please fax or immediately call Kirkwood's President and CEO Richard W. Klynn in the U.S. and demand that he:

Reinstate the six fired workers
Recognize the STIMAHCS union
Make no more backdoor deals with the corrupt COCEM or CTM unions (the government controlled ones)

Call Kirkwood Industries President and CEO today and express your outrage! We hear that the CEOs are currently in the plant, so speed is important!

TEL 216-267-6200
FAX 216-362-3804

For more detailed information about the firings, contact Chris Townsend, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers Union (UE) at 703-684-3123 or Robin Alexander at 412-471-8919 or Bob Nicklas at the Teamsters at 202-624-8741.