Dear Friends,
A massive strike against the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company will begin at dawn today, June 18.
Enclosed is a statement from the president of the General Workers Council (CGT) of Puerto Rico and some sample letters to the governor of Puerto Rico, GTE corporation, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, and Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico on the privatization of the telephone company, and the coming workers strike against privatization.
Please send your EMAIL letters and or faxes and circulate this post as widely as possible.
Cesar Ayala
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
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Puerto Rico No Se Vende! Strike Against Privatization of Phone Company
The labor movement in Puerto Rico is preparing for a confrontation against the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. The state owned corporation is being sold by the administration of governor Pedro Rosello to a group of investors led by GTE Corporation and the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.
Both unions of workers in the Puerto Rico Telephone Company have declared themselves against privatization, and they have jointly decided to go on strike sometime next week. Jose Juan Hernandez, president of the Independent Union of Telephone Workers (Union Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos-UIET) and Annie Cruz, president of the Independent Brotherhood of Telephone Workers (Hermandad Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos --HIETEL) made joint public declarations today of a forthcoming strike. Today the Broad Committee of Trade Union Organizations (Comite Amplio de Organizaciones Sindicales-CAOS) met to organize support for the forthcoming telephone workers strike. The two most important government sector unions, the Electrical Workers Union (UTIER) and the Aqueduct Workers Union (UIA), have vowed to support fully the efforts of the telephone workers to stop the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company.
There has been a broad based movement in Puerto Rico against the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. On October 1 of last year, over 100,000 demonstrators converged on San Juan to protest government plans to privatize the PRTC. That mobilization was the largest demonstration of any kind ever to take place in Puerto Rico.
The PRTC is an efficient government owned enterprise and governor Pedro Rosello´s attempt to privatize it is due to an abstract committment to a neoliberal economic program, not to a reality of inefficiency of government enterprise, as has been claimed.
In fact, consumers who still remember the time when the local phone company was privately owned by International Telephone and Telegraph agree unequivocally that under government ownership the PRTC has provided better and more efficient service than its private predecessor. If the privatization plan is carried out, at least 2,700 workers will loose their jobs in the immediate future, and many more will loose their jobs over the medium term.
The Broad Committee of Trade Union Organizations (CAOS) and the General Tade Union Council (Concilio General de Trabajadores-CGT) is organizing a campaign of support for the telephone workers strike. We are requesting faxed and EMAIL letters to governor Pedro Rosello, GTE, and Banco Popular opposing the privatization of the phone company, and will in the future request donations for the strike fund .
Renan Soto, General Secretary
Concilio General de Trabajadores (CGT)
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SAMPLE LETTER TO ROSELLO
Hon. Pedro Rosello
Governor or Puerto Rico
La Fortaleza
San Juan, Puerto Rico
FAX 787-725-4569
EMAIL webmaster@govpr.org
or prossello@govpr.org
Dear Mr. Rosello,
I am writing to request that you stop the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company and reverse the sale of the company to GTE and Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.
Both unions of workers in the Puerto Rico Telephone Company have declared themselves against privatization, and they have jointly decided to go on strike sometime next week. Jose Juan Hernandez, president of the Independent Union of Telephone Workers (Union Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos-UIET) and Annie Cruz, president of the Independent Brotherhood of Telephone Workers (Hermandad Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos --HIETEL) made joint public declarations of a forthcoming strike. Today the Broad Committee of Trade Union Organizations (Comite Amplio de Organizaciones Sindicales-CAOS) met to organize support for the forthcoming telephone workers strike. The two most important government sector unions, the Electrical Workers Union (UTIER) and the Aqueduct Workers Union (UIA), have vowed to support fully the efforts of the telephone workers to stop the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company.
There has been a broad based movement in Puerto Rico against the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. On October 1 of last year, over 100,000 demonstrators converged on San Juan to protest government plans to privatize the PRTC. That mobilization was the largest demonstration of any kind ever to take place in Puerto Rico.
The PRTC is an efficient government owned enterprise. Consumers who still remember the time when the local phone company was privately owned by International Telephone and Telegraph agree unequivocally that under government ownership the PRTC has provided better and more efficient service than its private predecessor. If the privatization plan is carried out, at least 2,700 workers will loose their jobs in the immediate future, and many more will loose their jobs over the medium term.
The privatization of the telephone company can only bring social unrest in Puerto Rico and increased tensions to your administration.
sincerely,
____________________________________
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SAMPLE LETTER TO GTE
The following letter can be faxted to the following two CEOs of
GTE or
pasted on the internet site of GTE.
Charles R. Lee
Chairman & CEO
GTE Corporation
1 Stamford Forum
Stamford, CT 06901
FAX (203) 965-2277
Michael T. Masin
Vice-Chair and President of International GTE Corp.
GTE Corporation
1 Stamford Forum
Stamford, CT 06901
FAX (203) 965-2277
GTE Customer Support (through the World Wide WEB)
Go to http://www.gte.com/cgi-bin/feedback.cgi
and paste your letter there.
Dear Mr. _____________,
I am writing to request that you stop your companys plans to purchase the assets of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company.
Both unions of workers in the Puerto Rico Telephone Company have declared themselves against privatization, and they have jointly decided to go on strike sometime next week. Jose Juan Hernandez, president of the Independent Union of Telephone Workers (Union Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos-UIET) and Annie Cruz, president of the Independent Brotherhood of Telephone Workers (Hermandad Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos --HIETEL) made joint public declarations of a forthcoming strike. Today the Broad Committee of Trade Union Organizations (Comite Amplio de Organizaciones Sindicales-CAOS) met to organize support for the forthcoming telephone workers strike. The two most important government sector unions, the Electrical Workers Union (UTIER) and the Aqueduct Workers Union (UIA), have vowed to support fully the efforts of the telephone workers to stop the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company.
There has been a broad based movement in Puerto Rico against the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. On October 1 of last year, over 100,000 demonstrators converged on San Juan to protest government plans to privatize the PRTC. That mobilization was the largest demonstration of any kind ever to take place in Puerto Rico.
The PRTC is an efficient government owned enterprise. Consumers who still remember the time when the local phone company was privately owned by International Telephone and Telegraph agree unequivocally that under government ownership the PRTC has provided better and more efficient service than its private predecessor. If the privatization plan is carried out, at least 2,700 workers will loose their jobs in the immediate future, and many more will loose their jobs over the medium term.
The privatization of Puerto Ricos telephone company can only bring social unrest in Puerto Rico and unnecessary risks to your company.
sincerely,
____________________________________
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SAMPLE LETTER TO RICHARD CARRION, PRESIDENT, BANCO POPULAR DE
PUERTO
RICO
(PASTE THIS LETTER ON THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS ON THE INTERNET)
https://cupey1.bancopopular.com/bppr/secure/contacto.html
Richard Carrion
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Dear Mr. Carrión,
I am writing to request that you stop your companys plans to purchase the assets of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company.
Both unions of workers in the Puerto Rico Telephone Company have declared themselves against privatization, and they have jointly decided to go on strike sometime next week. Jose Juan Hernandez, president of the Independent Union of Telephone Workers (Union Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos-UIET) and Annie Cruz, president of the Independent Brotherhood of Telephone Workers (Hermandad Independiente de Empleados Telefonicos --HIETEL) made joint public declarations of a forthcoming strike. Today the Broad Committee of Trade Union Organizations (Comite Amplio de Organizaciones Sindicales-CAOS) met to organize support for the forthcoming telephone workers strike. The two most important government sector unions, the Electrical Workers Union (UTIER) and the Aqueduct Workers Union (UIA), have vowed to support fully the efforts of the telephone workers to stop the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company.
There has been a broad based movement in Puerto Rico against the privatization of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company. On October 1 of last year, over 100,000 demonstrators converged on San Juan to protest government plans to privatize the PRTC. That mobilization was the largest demonstration of any kind ever to take place in Puerto Rico.
The PRTC is an efficient government owned enterprise. Consumers who still remember the time when the local phone company was privately owned by International Telephone and Telegraph agree unequivocally that under government ownership the PRTC has provided better and more efficient service than its private predecessor. If the privatization plan is carried out, at least 2,700 workers will loose their jobs in the immediate future, and many more will loose their jobs over the medium term.
The privatization of Puerto Ricos telephone company can only bring social unrest in Puerto Rico and will generate a consumer boycott to your bank.
sincerely,
____________________________________
****************************************************
OTHER ADDRESSES
You may use cut and paste with the above letters and send to
Mr. Marco Rodriguez Ema
President, Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
FAX 787-721-1443
Kenneth McClintock
Tel. 722-4010, 724-0296
Fax. 722-2684
E-mail: kmcclintock@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Charlie Rodriguez
Tel. 721-0122,725-2424, 721-0102
Fax. 724-2010
E-mail: crodriguez@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Roberto Rexach Benitez
Tel. 721-8090, 721-8098
Fax. 723-8656
E-mail: rrexach@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Luz Z. Arce Ferrer
Tel. 722-4299, 722-0651
Fax. 724-4715
E-mail: larce@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Sergio Pen~a Clos
Tel. 724-6310, 724-1361
Fax. 725-9697
E-mail: spena@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Enrique Rodriguez Negron
Tel. 723-4749, 723-4708, 724-1550
Fax. 723-2982
E-mail: erodriguez@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
1er Distrito Senatorial San Juan
Jorge Santini
Tel. 725-4364, 725-6882
Fax. 725-6656
E-mail: jsantini@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Francisco Gonzalez
Tel. 725-6438
fax. 724-7916
E-mail: fgonzalez@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
2do. Distrito Senatorial Bayamon
Anibal Marrero Perez
Tel. 725-4784, 725-3755
Fax. 725-6976
E-mail: amarrero@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Ramon Luis Rivera
Tel. 722-6832, 724-1728
Fax. 721-5719
E-mail: rrivera@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
3er Distrito Senatorial Arecibo
Victor Marrero Padilla
Tel. 721-4185, 724-6867
Fax. 722-1582
E-mail: vmarrero@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Norma Carranza
Tel. 723-1965, 724-3446
Fax. 725-9790
E-mail: ncarranza@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
4to Distrito Senatorial Mayaguez
Carlos Pagan Gonzalez
Tel. 724-5565, 723-8143
fax. 725-7054
E-mail: cpagan@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Jorge Ramos Comas (PPD)
Tel. 725-8007
Fax. 724-7345
E-mail: jramos@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
5to. Distrito Senatorial Ponce
Modesto Agosto Alicea (PPD)
Tel. 722-1096, 724-6735
Fax. 725-3672
E-mail: magosto@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Bruno Ramos Olivera (PPD)
Tel. 725-6781, 725-6667
Fax. 725-6783
E-mail: bramos@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
6to. Distrito Senatorial Guayama
Jose Melendez Ortiz
Tel. 722-4019, 722-1231
fax. 725-6511
E-mail: emelendez@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Carmen Luz Berrios
Tel. 721-8057
Fax. 721-8182
E-mail: cberrios@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
7mo. Distrito Senatorial Humacao
Luis F. Navas de Leon
Tel. 722-3122, 725-3330
Fax. 722-2981
E-mail: lnavas@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Carlos Davila
Tel. 722-3467
Fax. 721-1679
E-mail: cdavila@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
8vo. Distrito Senatorial Carolina
Luisa Lebron
Tel. 721-3211, 722-6625
Fax. 722-6625
E-mail: llebroni@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us
Roger Iglesias
Tel. 722-0879, 722-0790
Fax. 724-3003
E-mail: riglesias@SENADO.gvmt.pr.us