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6 February, 2013Unions and worker rights supporters took action across the US as part of the Mexico Days of Action 18 to 24 February 2013.
Actions in the US varied from protests to delivering letters to the Mexican government consulate offices.
Activities were organized in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Portland, Raleigh, Seattle, Tuscon, and Washington, DC.
These actions are being organized by the Tri-National Solidarity Alliance (TNSA) with labor groups including the AFL-CIO, United Electrical Workers (UE), United Steelworkers, the United Auto Workers, CSN, CEP, CAW, UNT, SME, FAT, Mineros, ASPA, STRM STUNAM and other unions, as well as NGOs, including Austin Tan Cerca, the Cross-Border Network, National Guestworker Alliance, and the National Lawyers Guild.
In Tuscon Arizona the USW Local 937 led a demonstration on 19 February outside the Mexican Consulate, together with trade unionists from PALF, IATSE, CWA and IAM. See the leaflet distributed at the event here, and photos attached to this page. The demonstration observed a moment of silence for the Pasta de Conchos victims.
In Denver, Colorado, a coalition of local labour activists conducted a picket and then delivered a joint letter to the Mexican Vice-Consul in a meeting.
On 21 February a large group of activists in Washington D.C. rallied from a range of groups including UAW, AFL-CIO, AFT, CWA, NALC and AFGE. The action outside the Mexican Embassy was noisy with chants calling for an end to protection contracts. A senior trade union delegation conveyed the international demands of the campaign in a meeting with Embassy staff while the chanting continued outside. See photos attached.
The 22 February demo in Chicago was held the day after a snow storm. Around 75 demonstrators primarily from the USW mobilized outside the Mexican Consulate with banners and a symbolic miner's coffin. See photos attached.
The solidarity event held in New York City on 22 February brought activists from LCLAA, NLG, UAW, Laborers, 1199 SEIU, UFT, UFCW, Painters, TWU, CWA, Cornell Global Labor Institute, Middle Church, Asociación Tepayac, and others to rally together in front of the Mexican consulate. A delegation met with the Consulate staff there and delivered a joint letter and a copy of the 2012 Resolution of the International Tribunal on Union Freedom of Association in Mexico. See photo attached.
On 22 February a trade union delegation of USW, UE and AFL-CIO met the Mexican Consul General in Los Angeles, David Figueroa Ortega and lodged the campaign's demands there. The vivid example of violations of trade union rights at PKC in Ciudad Acuña was detailed by the trade unionists as one illustrative example of the widescale problems throughout Mexico. See photos attached.