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| Courtesy #Ceasar Chavez #Boycott Driscoll. "The fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people." ~ Ceasar Chavez |
A round up of upcoming and past events and news articles regarding the Jornaleros de San Quintin, Ensenada from the USA:
- On this Sunday 09/20 picket lines will be established at six locations in Seattle Washington urging a boycott of Driscoll's berries by farm worker supporters of the Seattle community working with the independent farm workers union, "Familia Unidas por la Justicia." It is no accident that the Jornaleros of San Quintin, Baja California are a very large part of the picture.
Events aqui.
- Familia Unidas have been solid supporters of the San Quintin Jornaleros from the beginning, issuing communiques since early last spring after the strike and riots in Ensenada:
"Washington Farmworkers Announce Their Solidarity with Farmworkers in B.C. Mexico"
Boycott Sakuma Berries.com
- Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, here is an informative historical perspective of more boycotts against Driscoll in the United States, connecting BerryMex into the equation and labor practices here in Mexico:
karani.wordpress.com
The Costco Connection
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| Courtesy Radio-Bilinque.org |
- On 08/10/15 after touring the United States and the visiting the United Nations on behalf of the Jornaleros of San Quintin, the announcement that Gloria Gracida-Martinez, spokesperson for the Alianza would be making an appearance and presentation in San Francisco.
Here is a video of her presentation and the San Francisco Labor Council's " Resolution in Solidarity with the Farmworkers in San Quintin (Mexico) and Skagit County (Washington State)":
Indybay.org
"Driscolls, the Strike and Struggle for Labor & Human Rights at San Quintin, Baja Mexico"
- The recent Nation article available to millions of Americans across the United States addressing living and working conditions of the Jornaleros of San Quintin, Ensenada:
The Nation
"The Pacific Coast Farm-Worker Rebellion"
by, David Bacon
- Going back to May, protestors demonstrate against Driscolls and Whole Foods in Hillcrest, San Diego. San Diego has never been a union friendly environment and we have yet to see protests or demonstrations in Eastlake, where many of the most wealthy families from Tijuana live. I could find no coverage of this protest in the San Diego MSM, but here is the video and article from CBS News:
CBS News
San Diego Protesta a Favor de Jornaleros Mexicanos de San Quintin
- Of course, the Los Angeles Times continuous and constant coverage of the Jornaleros. Richard Marosi (the one who it seems started it all) articles are usually found under World/Mexico & the Americas - this is just one:
LA Times
"Baja Labor leaders Learned Tactics From their Efforts in US"
by, Richard Marosi
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| Courtesy Al Rojas - thxs there Al |
- If I have left anyone out and I'm sure that I did it was not intentional and I apologize. How about the 12.5 million people represented by the AFL-CIO ? The AFL-CIO has backed the Jornaleros of San Quintin, Ensenada since early on, next link contains their correspondence:
AFL-CIO: blogs tagged with "Mexico"
AFL-CIO Now
12.5 million people is let's face it, huge.
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Current Zeta, Frontera , El Mexicano & AFN Reports from Tijuana:
Summary of the Juan Carlos Dominguez Report
Finally in Zeta's recent report on the Jornaleros we have learned that some of them met with Enrique Miranda Nava, the Subsecretario de Gobernacion - a meeting which was supposed to have taken place last June. The issues on the table were to to be a definition of the daily wages and a categorization of the agro-companies, the formation of a trust, the release of the 14 Jornaleros arrested during the March 17 riots and other points which broadly have not been met by the Mexican government as promised and agreed on with the leaders of the Alianza that they would be.
There was the disclosure that neither Justino Herrera nor Lucila Hernandez were allowed access to the meeting because they no longer belong to the Alianza and formed a new group. Just a note that immediately people might think this is a divide and conquer opportunity for the government and business owners - but as one of my astute neighbors has pointed out, Justino is too smart for that. He feels this could be a very skillfully designed maneuver which in the long run will benefit the Jornaleros. You union organizers can figure this one out. As you recall, it was Justino Herrera who reported that in reality the Jornaleros had not won, there was grave deception in the actual wording of the initial agreement. Presently, it is Fidel Sanchez Gabriel who leads the Alianza.
During the meeting between Fidel Sanchez Gabriel the issue of rigging the initial agreement was not addressed, but the points taken up were the arbitrary categorization of the agro-businesses in San Quintin, wages, and general working conditions. The press who had been barred from the meeting mainly boycotted coverage.
After the meeting, a press conference was held involving the FIOB (Bi-National Front of Indigenous Organizations) and the Alianza who denied any substantial improvements in the working conditions and stated that in fact the working conditions for the Jornaleros has worsened, blasting the BerryMex company.
BerryMex according to statements from CEO Hector Lujan from last April into the present has a clean bill of health as a business operator and in relationship to the Jornaleros. However, Rogelio Mendez, coordinator for the Alianza denied Lujan's claims and he was not the only one. Dr. Laura Velasco of Colegio de la Frontera (COLEF) who attended the meeting has formally requested that BerryMex withdraw their name from this " inspection" and that statements made by Lujan also be struck from the record. Dr. Velasco also said that BerryMex was not "open enough" regarding the living and working conditions of the Jornaleros nor about the violence last May involving the authorities.(this would be where the three Jornaleros were beat up by the authorities) Keeping these facts in mind then, the point was pushed that BerryMex's report simply did not have enough information - or at least left out information to generate a reliable report.
Dr. Velasco continued that the data regarding wages was misleading; what was reported were wages which corresponded to the peak harvesting season which BerryMex presented as an average perception and not broken down by category of the workers, since the perception is uneven in relation to productivity. In plain language there are massive layoffs at the end of the high season. Dr. Velasco elaborates: "That high season can last one or two months, and the rest of the year, workers do not earn that wage, therefore then there is insufficient data which does not reflect the workers."
Both fronts, those of Herrara and the Alianza believe the strategy followed by the companies is one of disinformation and any resolution (s) of conflict (s) or deficiencies have been made behind the workers backs by the government endorsed unions namely CROM and CROC.
The Alianza has ratified the International Boycott as long as the Jornaleros are guaranteed their demand for wages received per flat/box of berries picked. However, more meetings
are needed with the Mexican government addressing the categorization of the companies. Some matters have been compromised, but the actual wages received which is determined by the proper categorization of the companies is the main point of discussion and will continue.
Promises, promises.......
Additionally, the Federal government promised to create a 100 million peso trust each year which has not materialized. When this article went to press, the fate of the fourteen Jornaleros arrested who the Alianza wanted released had also not been addressed. Prior agreements made with the government still have not been met including infrastructure requirements in several of the Valley communities, water supply, electricity, and a land tenure regularization involving the feasibility of building a dam at Santo Domingo and the expropriation of the Betancourt well in the ejido Diaz Ordaz of the Punta Colonet delegacion. Here is the entire article and interview, of course the title is completely tongue in cheek:
Zeta Tijuana
Para Miranda Nava "no hay reclamos": Alianza de Jornaleros de San Quintin
por, Juan Carlos Dominguez
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| Courtesy El Mexicano: The release of the 13 Jornaleros |
Regarding the release of the fourteen Jornaleros, one of those was released two weeks ago, and despite the fact that all of them received a perdon (forgiveness) from the owner ofthe El Reloj store prior to their sentencing, the remaining thirteen were sentenced to two years, two months and 20 days. The catch was if they paid 402K pesos + 2k pesos (about 26,800 $$$) as 'substucion de la pena' they could avoid the sentencing. This report indicates they were released from prison Monday evening - I'm unclear if that 402K pesos was a lump sum or to be paid individually.
Zeta Tijuana
por, Lorena Lamas
Juez si sentencio a detenidos por case "El Reloj"
More reports from the local Mexican press , this is just a sampling - many more from La Jornada and El-Mexicano.....
09/10: In response to the BerryMex report and the statements made by Gaspar Rivera Salgado (asesor Binacional de Jornaleros Agricolas) which both claim that the problems in the fields of San Quintin have been resolved, Fidel Sanchez of the Alianza fires back, rebuking their claims, also noting that workers are being layed off . Sanchez confirms that Canada, Japan and Korea will participate in the International Boycott against the agriculture businesses and their affiliates.
Frontera
Jornaleros reiteran que van por boicot a empresas agricolas
09/03: The Jornaleros of San Quintin announced they will be joining in solidarity withthe nation wide protest of the missing 43 Normalista students of Iguala, Ayotzinapa on 09/26/15.
Frontera
Jornaleros se unen a protesta nacional por normalistas
08/25: La Alianza reports the 13 agreements signed between them, the Federal and State Governments and the San Quintin agricultural businesses have NOT been met, nor have the workers been registered with the IMSS. They called Alfonso Navarrte Prida the Secretario del Trabaja y Prevision Social (STPS) a liar who covers up figures including in his report fifteen shell companies which no longer exist, he has revived others after they have disappeared for five years and buried others:
Frontera
Denuncian Jornaleros de San Quintin Incumplimiento de Acuerdo
08/25: Here again, the Alianza reports breech of agreements on the parts of the Federal and State governments and the agri-busineses with the 13 agreements made with the Alianza having not been met and the categorization of the ranches completely falsified with the Alianza calling Alfonso Navarrete Prida a liar; in essence cooking the books with misleading and erroneous data, tipping the scales which works in favor of the companies and eliminating any gains for increased pay for the Jornaleros. Why do I keep thinking in the back of mind,
United Fruit Company tactics?
El Mexicano
Denuncian Jornaleros de San Quintin Incumplimiento de Acuerdos
08/17: Conditions worsen in the fields of San Quintin including Vicente Guerrero, Lazaro Cardenas, Punta Colonet, Camalu, and Santa Maria de Los Pinos at these rancheros: BerryMex, Rancho Los Pinos, Rancho Santa Monica, Rancho Las Flores, Agricola Colonet, AW Agricola Baja and Berry Beg. Jornaleros report the abuse and exploitation is even greater than before as though it is punishment for the initial strike last March:
Frontera
Empeoran condiciones de trabajo en el campo
08/02: Something we all knew, and this report is just on the effects of one chemical: Jornaleros experience damage to their health from exposure to chemical pesticides used in the fields from Methyl Bromide. The gas containers are placed on the ground with no security measures taken for their use and handling or for the protection of the Jornaleros. Not mentioned is the overhead spraying of chemicals from low flying airplanes usually in the early morning hours and other pesticides used. Last year blogged here (hacked blog) two schools were evacuated in the area due to chemical spills. Although the article reports Methyl Bromide was banned, it is still in use in the USA and other locales. Two victims tell their stories to AFN:
AFN
Danan plaguicidas a jornaleros de SQ
I'll be back, the executions continue in our region.
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