Laborfest: Puerto Rico & Labor Organizing

Puerto Rico: Labor and The Fight Against Neoliberalism and Colonialism
Presentation by Scott Barbes-Caminero
Puerto Rico has been a US colony since 1898, and its people have resisted and fought back for self-determination and cultural rights through the organized struggle of the working class.
Today as a direct result of US economic policy, Puerto Rico is reaching a state of bankruptcy, and the US government and bankers are pushing further privatization of all public resources.
They have already privatized the healthcare system of Puerto Rico, which has been devastating to the poor and working class.
“Operation Bootstrap” was also the first “free trade zone”, are precursors to NAFTA by the US in Puerto Rico to increase the profits of multi-nationals and create a union-free environment.
Scott Barbes-Caminero is the secretary-treasurer of the Central General de Trabajadores (C.G.T.), an independent union that has been successful in organizing multinational corporation workplaces such as IKEA. They have fended off attacks by both the colonial government and the U.S. government. He will be speaking about the fight against neoliberalist corporate rule in the Caribbean and how democratic unions are organizing in Puerto Rico to fight back.
For information call: 510-290-2312
See also: http://www.laborfest.net/2015/2015schedule.htm