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Mexican Miners Ask U.S. Not to Fund Strike-Breaking Police
Embattled miners in Mexico who are being attacked by strike-breaking police officers and soldiers are asking Congress to withhold $1.4 billion in funds that the Bush administration wants to give their country's security forces.
A delegation of miners came to Washington to make the request on behalf of workers who have been on strike for nearly seven months over unsafe conditions at the Cananea copper mine in Sonora, 70 miles from the U.S. border.
The mine is owned by Grupo Mexico, which has ties to ASARCO Inc., a metals company that employs U.S. Steelworkers in Arizona and Texas. "Mexico cannot be allowed to violate workers' human rights with impunity under the pretense of securing borders and combating narco-trafficking," USW President Leo Gerard said. "The attack on the Cananea miners is just the most recent in a series of repressive actions by the Mexican government."
In spite of a court ruling that the strike is legal, nearly 1,000 federal police are occupying the copper mine and surrounding area and have used tear gas and pellet guns against workers.
A delegation of miners came to Washington to make the request on behalf of workers who have been on strike for nearly seven months over unsafe conditions at the Cananea copper mine in Sonora, 70 miles from the U.S. border.
The mine is owned by Grupo Mexico, which has ties to ASARCO Inc., a metals company that employs U.S. Steelworkers in Arizona and Texas. "Mexico cannot be allowed to violate workers' human rights with impunity under the pretense of securing borders and combating narco-trafficking," USW President Leo Gerard said. "The attack on the Cananea miners is just the most recent in a series of repressive actions by the Mexican government."
In spite of a court ruling that the strike is legal, nearly 1,000 federal police are occupying the copper mine and surrounding area and have used tear gas and pellet guns against workers.