28631: Mario Pierre - Response to John Holmstead (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Kawonabo1500@aol.com

John,

What is the point of posting an article dated June 10, 2004 about the closing
of CODEVI on the Corbett list today with no comments? Since April 2004, the
SOKOWA Workers-May First Federation - Batay Ouvriye at Grupo M - CODEVI Free
Trade Zone in Ouanaminthe won a big victory through their struggles to have
Collective Bargaining and Contract  for the first time in the History of Haiti.

This opened the way for all workers in the Free Trade Zone factories to have
this right as unionized workers. Their struggles also establish a Historic
precedent that make it possible for the World Bank to change its criteria
conditioning their disbursements worldwide to social responsibility, and
sustainable
development. Now, there are regulations for the right of workers to organize,
collective bargaining, health rights and protection against unemployment.
      It was proven that the Workers' struggles were not to create conditions
to close down the factories  but on the contrary to create beter, humanely
sustainable conditions in the factories at CODEVI. All the talk in that June
10,

2004 article about a radical group was part of an unsavory propaganda
campaign by Grupo M officials to maintain sweatshop conditions in the
factories.

      Today, Grupo M is trying to renege on the agreement that it signed with
the workers 2 years ago. The struggles of the workers do not allow Fernando
Capellan' s Grupo M  to maneuver with some sold-out souls at CODEVI. For the
workers again just won a major victory in the last 2006 elections in the SOCOWA

Union recently.
     For more information and to offer Solidarity with the SOCOWA Workers,
please check out the Batay Ouvriye website at http://www.batayouvriye.org/ .
Mario Pierre