Puerto Rico Local Fighting for Members on Many Fronts

TNG-CWA/UPAGRA members at Puerto Rico's WAPA-TV turn out in force for an informational picket in their fight for a fair contract. The 140-member unit has voted unanimously to strike if necessary.

A long-sought back pay award, a court date Monday in the case of 107 locked-out newspaper workers and a strike vote at TV station WAPA are among the victories and battles on the busy calendar at Puerto Rico's TNG-CWA Local 33225, known as UPAGRA.

Last week, a U.S. District Court judge in San Juan ordered four years of back pay for five employees that the San Juan Star laid off in 2005. In 2006, an arbitrator found that the company falsely claimed financial hardship and ordered the workers reinstated. The owners refused, shutting down the Star two years later. But TNG-CWA refused to give up its fight. "This is a lesson for all owners who insist on ignoring arbitration awards that favor their workers," UPAGRA President Nestor Soto said.

Another 107 workers who were locked out of their jobs at the newspaper El Vocero 14 months ago could get injunctive relief following a U.S. Federal Court hearing Monday. The case, which involves multiple ULP charges, a sham outsourcing company and misuse of federal stimulus funds, is before the NLRB, but workers and their families continue to suffer. Marta Figueroa, NLRB regional director in Puerto Rico, called for the hearing and described the company's campaign of fear and intimidation against remaining workers and the hardship on those fired. In the island's "dismal job market," she said the workers have lost homes, gone bankrupt and delayed critical medical care.

At WAPA-TV, the company's refusal to fairly address key issues of seniority and job security led the 140-member wall-to-wall UPAGRA unit to vote unanimously for strike authorization.