Puerto Rican unions join to reject Fiscal Control Board

This is a news release from 30 Puerto Rican unions, issued March 29.

San Juan, Puerto Rico — The proposal for a Financial Control Board (FCB) is the reason more than 30 unions have called on the people to reject and mobilize against the FCB.

“The Financial Control Board is the culmination of neoliberal measures that past government administrations have imposed to counter the people’s interests. Placing higher taxes on the people, cutting social rights, banning constitutional rights and favoring private investment over public management, plus the practice of borrowing, which is nothing less than delivering the country to powerful interests,” said union leader Luis Pedraza Leduc.

Pedraza Leduc pointed out: “Now that the debt is unpayable, local governments are unable to reach a solution that favors the people, Congress assumes its role of representing the wealthy economic interests and clearly expresses to the country that we have no power and that our rights as human beings have low priority compared to the interests of capital.”

Another union leader, Emilio Nieves Torres, indicated that “in light of this reality, the union movement agreed to maintain an open and ongoing dialogue aimed at reporting and denouncing the negative impact of the FCB to the people. In turn, the unions are promoting meetings and dialogues with community, student and religious sectors, elected officials and environmentalists to organize a huge demonstration for May 1, International Workers Day.”

Nieves Torres added that “the protests and the union mobilization will not be limited to May 1. Beginning in April, they will organize other activities aiming to mobilize large sections of the people to reject the FCB and to support proposals that diverse sectors have supported in recent years. These proposals include refusing to pay the debt, demanding an audit of the debt, and implementing measures to guarantee services and human rights in education, health, work with dignity, housing and social protection, among others.”

Press Contacts:

Luis Pedraza Leduc – (787) 368-6210

José Torres – (787) 944-4724

Coordinadora Sindical spokesman and President HEEND

Pedro Irene Maymí – (787) 619-8835

Andrés Lloret – (787) 692-1688

UIA President and CPT President FCT

Emilio Nieves Torres – (787) 319-3563

Israel Marrero – (939) 645-3959

CPT President and Vice President JOIN SPT / SEIU

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Asociación Puertorriqueña Profesores Universitarios (APPU)

Central Puertorriqueña de Trabajadores (CPT)

Coordinadora Sindical (CS)

Coordinadora Unitaria de Trabajadores del Estado (CUTE)

EDUCAMOS

Federación Central de Trabajadores (FCT)

Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (FMPR)

Federación Puertorriqueña de Trabajadores (FPT)

Hermandad de Empleados Exentos No Docentes (HEEND)

Hermandad Independiente Empleados Profesionales de la Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (HIEPAAA)

Movimiento Solidario Sindical (MSS)

Programa de Solidaridad UTIER (PROSOL UTIER)

Solidaridad Coca Cola (SCC)

Sindicato Puertorriqueño de Trabajadores (SPT)

Toabajeños en Defensa del Ambiente (TDA)

Trabajadores Unidos de la AMA (TUAMA)

Unión Abogadas y Abogados de Servicios Legales (UAASL)

Unión de Empleados de Muelles (UDEM)

Unión de Médicos de la Corporación del Fondo del Seguro del Estado (UMCFSE)

Unión de Trabajadores de la Industria Eléctrica y Riego (UTIER)

Unión de Trabajadores del Banco de la Vivienda (UTBV)

Unión Empleados del Banco Gubernamental de Fomento (UEBGF)

Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT)

Unión Independiente Auténtica de Acueductos (UIA)

Unión Independiente de Trabajadores de la Autoridad de Edificios Públicos (UITAED)

Unión Independiente de Trabajadores de Servicios Legales (UITSL)

Unión Nacional de Educadores y Trabajadores de la Educación (ÚNETE)

Verónica Rodríguez Sánchez
Administrator of Office Systems
Solidarity Program UTIER – PROSOL UTIER
P.O. Box 9063
San Juan, PR 00908
(787) 724-6118/6119
Fax. (787) 724-6149