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Puerto Rican Government & SEIU In Collusion To Disenfranchise FMPR
Puerto Rican Government & SEIU In Collusion To Disenfranchise FMPR In Upcoming Election: No Democratic Choice For 40,000 Teachers
From FMPR President Rafael Feliciano
Dear Fellow Workers:
Attached is my report to the Board of Directors of the FMPR, made up of the presidents and vice presidents of the 84 locals which constitute the Federation. As you can observe, the same speaks for itself.
Events are moving at hurricane speed in the schools of Puerto Rico . Last week:
We began with an avalanche of new members, approximately one hundred a day, which reflects that our process of recuperation, based on voluntary work, has gained velocity.
Our executive committee met.
We developed an intense campaign against corruption in the Department of Education. This resulted in a front page article of the newspaper El Vocero last Friday and great difficulties for the government.
Dozens of controversies were resolved in the schools. The Puerto Rican Independence Party presented their support for the FMPR actions in favor of the legislated wage increases (Wednesday) at their press conference.
Friday:
Our petition for reconsideration on the matter of the biometric time clocks as unconstitutional was rejected. The case will have to be taken to the Court of Appeals.
The Department of Education’s reconsideration against the FMPR on the matter of the “MANDAMUS” to force the payment of what is owed the teachers was rejected; the Department of Education has initiated the payments.
The Commission on Labor Relations for the Public Sector (CRTSP) has convened union elections between September 30 and October 15 and excluded the FMPR from the election.
We held a press conference and next Monday we will go to court to ask for an urgent order so that the FMPR be included in the election.
The government-boss obviously and the SEIU-Association are trying by all means to exclude the FMPR since they know that they will be defeated if it participates.
We expect to prevail in court and appear on the ballot because:
The CRTSP resolution is a determination without a legal basis. The law of unionization, Number 45, does not state that an organization which has been decertified cannot compete in a union election if it has the endorsements required by the law; in this case it is 8,000 and the FMPR submitted 12,000.
In the case of the decertification which has gone to trial, there was no disposition which prohibits the organization from participating in a new election.
The CRTSP Resolution violates the due process of the law because it deprives us of our right to participate.
The group UNETE solicited participation, after the FMPR, and their endorsement cards were accepted. Yet, they did not collect the minimum necessary. They collected less than 1,500.
It is important to denounce internationally the conspiracy of the government-boss and the SEIU-Association to deny that the teachers can freely select the labor organization they desire to represent them.
Our strong point: the people. Our weak point: the lack of material resources. Any help in solidarity is welcome. It is necessary to compliment the network of volunteers with an organizational network.
Fraternally,
Rafael Feliciano Hernández
Presidente FMPR
To Support The FMPR Funds should be sent to:
Please send check to FMPR, Urb, El Caribe 1572 Ave. Ponce de Leon, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00926-2710
FEDERACIÓN DE MAESTROS DE PUERTO RICO
Declaración de Prensa
(7 de septiembre de 2008)
La Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico repudia como una patraña discriminatoria y antidemocrática la reciente decisión de la Comisión de Relaciones del Trabajo del Servicio Público que pretende excluir arbitrariamente a la Federación de Maestros para poder participar en las elecciones para representante exclusivo del magisterio.
La acción de la Comisión es ilegal y engañosa pues en la Ley 45 no existe prohibición alguna para que un sindicato que haya sido desertificado pueda participar en unas elecciones sindicales. Peor aun, en la Orden de Descertificación de la Comisión que advino final y firme no se incluyó nada sobre esa prohibición, por lo tanto la agencia se está extralimitando en sus prerrogativas pretendiendo enmendar la Ley 45 con el único propósito de ayudar a ganar unas elecciones al sindicato patronal de la Asociación.
Más importante aún, la resolución de la Comisión es un brutal asalto a la democracia sindical y a los derechos de los miles de maestros que firmaron las peticiones de endoso para que la Federación de Maestros participe en las elecciones para la representación exclusiva. La Ley 45 establece que para poder participar como interventor en unas elecciones sindicales la organización tiene que recoger el 20% de endosos, unos 8,000. En apenas dos meses, la FMPR recogió y entregó más de 11,000 endosos, cerca del 30%. La Comisión pretende despojar a miles de maestros del derecho a seleccionar democráticamente a su representante exclusivo, arrogándose poderes que no le corresponden.
En su burdo interés por descalificar a la Federación de Maestros, la Comisión se tardó casi seis (6) meses en contestar la petición de intervención de la FMPR y la deniega sin citarnos a una vista y sin escuchar nuestras alegaciones, en franca violación al debido proceso de ley. A sabiendas de que está violando la ley convoca la elección sindical para celebrarse entre el 30 de septiembre y el 15 de octubre con el Sindicato patronal de la Asociación como única alternativa, sin siquiera comunicárselo a la FMPR que es sin duda parte interesada en esta controversia.
Ante las acciones ilegales de la Comisión, La Federación de Maestros acudirá mañana, lunes 8 de septiembre, al Tribunal de Primera Instancia con un recurso legal para impugnar la exclusión de la Federación y exigir que se nos garantice el derecho a participar en las elecciones sindicales. No le quepa duda a nadie, vamos a agotar todos los recursos y acciones necesarias para evitar que el patrono-gobierno se salga con la suya.
Hacemos un llamado urgente a nuestra matrícula a mantenerse alerta a los próximos acontecimientos y a movilizarse para repudiar el intento del gobierno-patrono de arrebatarnos el derecho a representar, como lo hemos hecho durante muchos años, al magisterio puertorriqueño. Todos los dirigentes, delegados y contactos deben reunirse inmediatamente para cumplir el Plan de Trabajo aprobado por la Junta de Dirigentes y asegurar la victoria de nuestro instrumento de lucha.
Rafael Feliciano Hernández
Presidente de la FMPR
¡NO HAY TRIUNFO SIN LUCHA; NI LUCHA SIN SACRIFICIO!
Rafael Feliciano Hernández
Presidente
Federación de Maestros
Labor Imperialism, Corporate Unionism & The SEIU Convention
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0sFjqmld5I
This video is an edited part of a 60 minute labor TV show the Labor Video Project is producing on the 2008 SEIU convention in Puerto Rico.
To find out more about the issue of the Puerto Rican teachers and the struggle against privatization you can go to:
www.fmprlucha.org
mysite.verizon.net/vze2kxcd/fmprsupportcommitteenewyork/
www.coordinadorasindical.org/
UTIER -
www.utier.org/estructuras/index.php
MoreVideos About the Struggle In Puerto Rico and the SEIU Issues
FMPR Teachers Picket SEIU Convention
www.youtube.com/watch?v=syfv0tEZcuc&feature=related
SEIU CA Workers Speak Out On Crisis In SEIU: Part 1
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1058177590408814637
SEIU CA Workers Speak Out On Crisis In SEIU: Part 2
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5891163838978583510
Mergers, Labor Power, Union Democracy And the Future of the SEIU
#1 San Francisco
video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6662348067653625
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