Puerto Rico Fight: Stimulus Dollars Paying for Paper's Scab Workers

Puerto Rico newspaper workers who were pushed out of their jobs at El Vocero in July and replaced by non-union employees continue to picket their building and offices of local politicians who are channeling U.S. stimulus fund to the union-busting publisher.

"Local mayors and Puerto Rico's secretary of labor have been giving stimulus money – taxpayer dollars – to publisher Miguel Roca through sham companies that he set up to hire scabs to do our work," TNG-CWA President Bernie Lunzer said.

Members of TNG-CWA 33225 (UPAGRA) in Puerto Rico march in front of the El Vocero newspaper building in San Juan to protest their replacement with scab workers.

Nestor Soto, a CWA executive board at-large member and president of TNG-CWA Local 33225 (UPAGRA), has uncovered a paper trail proving that Roca has received at least $4.4 million in Workforce Investment Fund money to pay his new non-union employees.

Those workers were hired after 107 employees in El Vocero's front office, distribution and printing operations were locked out of their jobs on July 5. Roca claims they were laid off.

CWA is supporting the UPAGRA members with funds set aside for victims of collective bargaining strategies. Every week, the union gets a permit to shut down the street in front of the El Vocero's San Juan offices for a mass picket.

"We are very grateful to the executive board for recognizing what an injustice this is and helping us support our members while they fight back," Lunzer said.

The union is also trying to recover money from Roca that is missing from workers' 401(k) funds and other accounts, and is pursing legal strategies over his refusal since last year to make required contributions to their TNG-CWA pension fund.