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Phone Strike Shuts Down Puerto Rico
A strike by 6,400 Puerto Rican telephone workers, which mushroomed into a general labor strike that virtually stopped all commerce on the island July 7 and 8, was settled as the CWA News went to press.
CWA leaders in Washington and members in Puerto Rico were instrumental in helping curb police violence against the strikers, represented by the Independent Union of Telephone Workers (UIET) and the Independent Brotherhood of Telephone Workers (HIETEL).
CWA has had a mutual assistance pact with the two unions since 1991. The workers struck June 18 out of fear for their jobs after the government acted to privatize the Puerto Rican phone company.
Following news broadcasts showing violent assaults on picketers by the police when the strike began, CWA President Morton Bahr contacted Governor Pedro Rossello to urge that he use his authority "to stop the violence and safeguard the right of the workers to gather and demonstrate."
Meanwhile, Newspaper Guild/CWA members representing major broadcast outlets on the island made sure that police activities were shown on TV reports. CWA and the Guild refused police demands to turn over raw video footage, and the police subsequently backed down. Violence soon abated on the picket lines as well.
CWA, at the request of the two unions, also helped in negotiations to make sure there were no reprisals against strikers by the government or the state phone company.
With GTE prevailing over Spanish Telefonica in bidding to buy the company, CWA stands ready to use its influence to make sure GTE listens to the concerns of the workers over job security and other issues, said President Bahr.
CWA leaders in Washington and members in Puerto Rico were instrumental in helping curb police violence against the strikers, represented by the Independent Union of Telephone Workers (UIET) and the Independent Brotherhood of Telephone Workers (HIETEL).
CWA has had a mutual assistance pact with the two unions since 1991. The workers struck June 18 out of fear for their jobs after the government acted to privatize the Puerto Rican phone company.
Following news broadcasts showing violent assaults on picketers by the police when the strike began, CWA President Morton Bahr contacted Governor Pedro Rossello to urge that he use his authority "to stop the violence and safeguard the right of the workers to gather and demonstrate."
Meanwhile, Newspaper Guild/CWA members representing major broadcast outlets on the island made sure that police activities were shown on TV reports. CWA and the Guild refused police demands to turn over raw video footage, and the police subsequently backed down. Violence soon abated on the picket lines as well.
CWA, at the request of the two unions, also helped in negotiations to make sure there were no reprisals against strikers by the government or the state phone company.
With GTE prevailing over Spanish Telefonica in bidding to buy the company, CWA stands ready to use its influence to make sure GTE listens to the concerns of the workers over job security and other issues, said President Bahr.