Striking Copper Miners in Cananea, Mexico — Fighting for Their Lives

Copper miners at the giant open-pit copper mine in Cananea, Mexico, have been on strike for seven months to protect both themselves and their historic union, which have been jeopardized by the transnational mine operator Grupo México. The outcome of the current battle of the 1,200 union workers at the historic mine, where the 1906 strike led to the 1910 Mexican Revolution, will have a tremendous impact on workers’ rights and labor relations throughout Mexico for years to come.

Garrett Brown (MPH, CIH) is a graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and compliance officer for Cal/OSHA’s Oakland District Office. Since 1993, Brown has also been the volunteer coordinator of the Maquiladora Health and Safety Support Network which provides information, technical assistance and training to workers in Mexico, Central America, Indonesia and China.

The report of the independent occupational health team’s survey of the Cananea mine, as well as 25 photographs of the mine, is posted at: www.igc.org/mhssn

Monday, March 3, 4:00 pm
CLAS Conference Room, 2334 Bowditch Street