November 29, 2011 Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa President of Mexico Dr. Alejandro Poiré Romero Secretary of Government Via email:
felipe.calderon@presidencia.gob.mx secretario@segob.gob.mx
Dear President Calderón and Secretary Poiré We are writing to you on behalf of the tens of thousands of U.S. workers who are members of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) to express our concern about the status of negotiations with SME. We have been monitoring this situation closely and are aware that on September 13 your administration agreed to recognize the democratically elected leadership of SME, unfreeze the union’s assets, and sit down with the union to negotiate the reinstatement of some 16,000 fired workers. While we were encouraged to see that the toma de nota was approved, we are deeply troubled that – although November 30 is fast approaching – the union still has no access to its funds, that twelve union leaders remain in jail, and that there appears to have been little progress regarding the re-employment of the thousands of union members who refused to accept severance. We urge you to take immediate steps to ensure: • • • •
prompt implementation of a fully budgeted solution for decent jobs in the electrical sector (or early retirement options) for all 16,599 workers who have not accepted severance; immediate release of all 12 prisoners; immediate access to the 21 million pesos belonging to SME that remain frozen; full trade union freedoms and collective bargaining rights for all those who are reinstated to decent jobs.
We strongly urge you to take immediate steps ensure that this matter is finally resolved and look forward to your response. Sincerely,
Bruce J. Klipple General President cc:
Andrew Dinkelaker General Secretary Treasurer
Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubon Dr. RaĂşl Plascencia Villanueva
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Robert B. Kingsley Director of Organization