October 22, 2008

FMPR Support Committee Protests at SEIU’s NYC Offices

Oct. 14, 2008 - FMPR Support Committee denounced the actions of SEIU’s leadership in Puerto Rico, including their betrayal of 42,000 striking teachers earlier this year and their subsequent raid against the teachers’ elected bargaining representative, the Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (FMPR). Now they have successfully excluded FMPR from competing in the ongoing elections for representation.

The teachers’ only choice is to vote yes or no to SEIU. We say vote NO! An election with only one slate is a SHAM! Andy Stern and Dennis Rivera have turned on a sister union and its members. They see Puerto Rico as a gateway to their absorption of trade unions in Latin America.

SEIU’s members did not direct this decision that insults their proud history of fighting for justice and dignity. We condemn the anti-worker and colonial-expansionist actions of SEIU’s leadership and reaffirm our solidarity with FMPR and those who defend democratic trade unions! We appeal to our brothers and sisters in SEIU – tell Stern and Rivera: Stop the raid!

An election to choose a union to represent the 42,000 teachers of Puerto Rico is taking place from October 1-22 — but there is only one option on the ballot: SEIU’s Puerto Rican affiliate, the Sindicato Puertorriqueño de Maestros (SPM). The organization that has represented teachers for over 40 years, the Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (FMPR), Puerto Rico’s largest union, has been excluded from the election. Teachers can choose SPM or no union. This is a sham election which offers teachers no real choice.

THE TRUTH ABOUT SPM & SEIU: SPM was created two years ago by the Asociación de Maestros, an organization which represents school principals and administrators, to serve as a management-friendly union. The SPM/Asociación affiliated with SEIU in December 2007. It is well-known on the island that the Asociación serves as the voice of the ruling Partido Popular Democrático (PPD) in the Department of Education, the teachers’ employer. Thus the teachers of Puerto Rico have been offered a choice in this election between a union handpicked by their bosses which serves the interests of their bosses!— or no union at all.

THE TRUTH ABOUT GOV. ANIBAL ACEVEDO VILA & DENNIS RIVERA: Dennis Rivera, Vice President of SEIU, is a key supporter and campaign contributor to PPD Governor Anibal Acevedo Vilá—who was instrumental in excluding FMPR from competing in the current election. The two met frequently in 2007, amidst tumultuous negotiations between FMPR and the government. According to the NY Daily News, Acevedo Vilá promised support for an SEIU raid against FMPR. Meanwhile, FMPR was negotiating to improve teachers’ abysmal salaries and working conditions, address serious deficiencies in the school system and to thwart off privatization of education and militarization of the schools. SEIU’s leadership should have supported this important labor struggle.

•