Dear President Fox,

Dear Diputados Beltrones Rivera and Barrio Terrazas,

The Mexican Constitution of 1917, a product of the Mexican revolution, provides for the freedom to organize, bargain collectively, and for many other fundamental rights.  At the time, it was the most progressive labor law in the world, and over time it has been effectuated through the Ley Federal del Trabajo.  With modernization, pressure has come from many sources to reform the law: both from businesses which seek the freedom to reap profits free from its constraints, as well as from labor organizations which seek torealize the rights to freely organize and to select the union of one’s choice under a system free of institutional constraints.

I have watched this debate with great interest as it has unfolded, and have appreciated your approach in attempting to resolve these conflicting views through consensus ­ by establishing working sessions in which all Interests were represented. Therefore, it is with deep concern and disbelief that I have viewed what appears to be an attempt by the PAN and PRI over the course of the last week to force the Abascal Plan through the Mexican Congress .

This set of proposals is far from a consensus, and is opposed by unions, social organizations and most recently by the church.   Previous efforts to move forward in the absence of a consensus have resulted in major mobilizations, and there have already been announcements of massive protests scheduled for next week.

I deplore this effort to deprive workers of their fundamental right to organize and bargain collectively, and to strip them of the protections afforded by Mexican law. Moreover, this places all power in industrial relations and in the workplace in the hands of the employers, leaving workers legally helpless, and violating the historic principle of Mexican labor law of a balance of the factors of production (capital and labor). This is particularly offensive, given the total lack of response to the demands to correct some of the serious deficiencies in the current law, including the failure to provide for secret ballot elections or public access to information regarding unions and contracts. This is especially outrageous given the agreement which was reached under the Labor Side Agreement of NAFTA NAALC) on May 18, 2000, in which the Mexican Ministry of Labor committed the Federal government both to promote public registries of unions and contracts as well as elections by secret ballot.

I consider this to be a matter of crucial importance and respectfully request that you take the necessary measures to ensure that any labor law reform proposal which is introduced be balanced in nature and reflect a consensus by all affected sectors of society.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Heather Riemer

UE Field Organizer

75 Park St Burlington, VT 05401 USA

Patrick Hylton,

Esq.1322 18th Street, N.W. Suite 300 Washington, D.C. 20036

Kreso Botic

National Rep CAW Health and Safety Training Fund

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tel: 1800 268-5763 ext. 436

(416) 718-8436

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Dawn Stanger

Teamsters Local 597

Vermont Workers' Center

Anne Feeney, Past President Local 60-471, AFM, AFLCIO> <mailto:unionmaid@earthlink.net>unionmaid@earthlink.net

www.annefeeney.com 7206 Michigan Avenue

Pittsburgh,  PA  15218

Alejandra Domenzain

Associate Director Sweatshop Watc

Proyecto Abascal es defectuoso y perjudica los derechos constitucionales de los trabajadores.  Retirelo!----

Jack Mudry,

Denver, Co. EUA

John H. Hovis, Jr.

General President

national officers and members of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE)

Claire Lalande

Lanoraie, Québec, Canada

Thomas V. DeBruin, President

District 1199P Executive Board and Staff Deborah Schneider, SEIU Global Strength Organizing Director Maria Robalino, SEIU Global Strength Project Coordinator

Roger Saucier

Coordonnateur Centre international de solidarité ouvrière (CISO) 565, Crémazie Est, Bureau 3500 Montréal (Québec) H2M 2V6

Tél. : (514) 383-2266, poste 225

Téléc. : (514) 383-1143

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