Where trade unionists start their day on the net.
In this week's mailing:
* Costa Rica: Chiquita sacks workers who reported poisoning
* Chile: The strike is over, but the struggle for justice continues
* Mexico: Murder of Santiago Rafael Cruz - one month into the campaign
* We need your help - to win the New Media Awards
COSTA RICA: CHIQUITA SACKS WORKERS WHO REPORTED POISONING
If you ran a business and some of your employees came to tell you that workers were being sprayed with a toxic chemical, wouldn't you listen to them? And if it turned out to be true, wouldn't you praise them for reporting the problem? That's not what Chiquita, one of the world's biggest and best known fruit companies, did. Instead, they have sacked two union members (Alexander Reyes and Marcos Borge) and ignored their warnings. They've refused to negotiate with the union, which has called for an international campaign of protest. Please take a moment to send off your message:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=251
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CHILE: THE STRIKE IS OVER, BUT THE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE CONTINUES
Last week we told you about a strike by Chilean forestry workers in which one worker, Rodrigo Cisternas, was killed by police. We're pleased to report that the strike has now ended and an agreement on wages has been reached -- including a 52% wage increase for the lowest-paid workers. But the union and its global union federation (the BWI) have asked for the campaign of protest over the killing of Rodrigo, who left a wife and five-year-old son, to continue:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=247
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MEXICO: MURDER OF SANTIAGO RAFAEL CRUZ - ONE MONTH INTO THE CAMPAIGN
It's now been a month since we reported to you on the killing of union organizer Santiago Rafael Cruz. Santiago's killers are still at large and the campaign continues. You have sent off nearly 4,400 messages of protest, but we need to send many more. Please make sure to send off your message today:
http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=232
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WE NEED YOUR HELP - TO WIN THE NEW MEDIA AWARDS
The annual "New Statesman New Media Awards" exist to "highlight the positive impact of new media technology on public life" and include the category of "Advocacy". LabourStart was a finalist back in 1999, but since then, we've been ignored. We think a few hundred nominations from trade unionists around the world might get them to sit up and pay attention.
Please take a minute and nominate us (the deadline is 31 May 2007):
http://www.newstatesman.com/nma/nma2007/nma2007nominate.php?cat=advocacy
Thanks -- and have a great week.
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