ASARCO mine strike continues, Mexican workers to go on strike August 15 in solidarity : AZ IMC

TUCSON – For twenty-four hours a day, everyday since July 2, employees of the ASARCO mines have staffed a large tent on the side of Pima Mine Road south of Tucson. The unions voted to go on strike due to unfair labor practices after they say the company refused to negotiate a new contract in good faith. Some of the Arizona employees, who work at the Silver Bell, Mission, and Ray Mines, and the Hayden Mill and Smelter, have been working without a contract for a year. Workers at a ASARCO Texas mine are also on strike.

Approximately 1,500 workers have been involved in the strike. Since Arizona is a Right-to-Work state, approximately 100 employees have been seen crossing the picket line. Four unions have been involved in the strike in Arizona, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Union of Operating Engineers, the United Steel Workers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

ASARCO was purchased by Grupo Mexico, the third largest copper mining company, in 1999. Employees say labor conditions have deteriorated since then. Union representatives involved in the contract negotiations say that despite higher copper prices, ASARCO is demanding a wage freeze, a reduction in pension benefits for current employees, no pension benefits for new hires, reduced health insurance benefits and other concessions. Grupo Mexico is also facing labor problems in Mexico where union members claim the company is interfering in union affairs and trying to promote “company” unions.

ASARCO employee James Rowland said that Grupo Mexico always wanted the U.S. employees to work for less, since they are used to paying lower wages in Mexico. Rowland, who works at the Mission Mine, says that the miners lost their health care for July although it was deducted from their paycheck.

Several other miners, who didn’t feel comfortable giving their names, agreed with Rowland. “The old ASARCO would not ever have cut our medical benefits because they cared more abut their families,” one employee said.

Reuters reported Friday that Grupo Mexico metal workers in the Mexican Mining and Metallurgical Workers Union say they will begin a Mexico-wide protest in solidarity with the ASARCO strikers on August 15. The union reports that approximately 250,000 workers in 22 Mexican states will stop work for one hour on Monday in support of the Asarco and Sicartsa strikers. The workers plan to extend the stoppages by an hour every day, culminating in a full day walk out if no progress is made with strike negotiations by the following week.

The protests could affect production at Penoles, the world’s top silver company.
Grupo Mexico is one of the world's biggest copper producers. It has mines in Mexico, United States and Peru.

In the last few months, mining and metalworking unions in each country have united to demand that the company respects workers’ rights and improves benefits.

The United Steelworkers (USW), the National Union of Mine and Metal Workers of Mexico (STMMRM) and the Federation Workers of the Mining and Metal Industries of Peru (FETIMAP) had already demonstrated on June 21 against Grupo Mexico mining operations.

Negotiations between ASARCO and the union has been on and off since July when talks collapsed and the strike began.

Reuters reported that during the first half of 2005, ASARCO's revenues were $253 million, with total copper production of 87,000 tones. Both numbers compare favorably with 2004. Before the July, the company estimated 2005 output at 180,000 tones of copper products.

It has been reported that the ASARCO strike could affect up to a fifth of Grupo Mexico’s total copper production.

Four unions, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, left the AFL-CIO earlier in the month saying that the organization devoted too many resources to political campaigns and lobbying and not enough to grassroots organizing. The New York Times reported split as “the biggest rift in labor since the 1930s.”

Mine Takeover

Many of the Mission Mine employees joke that they could run the mine better than themselves.

“Without us, they cannot keep producing,” one worker said who wished not to give his name. “We know how to fix all the old trucks and equipment,” he said. He has worked in Arizona mines for more than 30 years and said that Grupo Mexico didn’t want to invest in new equipment, thus the machines and trucks break down all the time.

Another worker, said that since Grupo took over, the incidents of safety accidents has increased.

“If the bosses would only listen to our ideas, things would work better and be more efficient,” another said. One worker said that one man who didn’t have much experience with the tractor that dumps rock onto the conveyor belt accidentally took out the belt costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Factory workers throughout Argentina have been taking over production, from textiles to metal works, since 2001 when the economy collapsed. Fearing the companies would ship out all the equipment out of the country, the workers united to take over the factories. They defend the factories with marbles and slingshots when the police try to come evict them. For more information, see the independent film, “The Take.” http://www.nfb.ca/webextension/thetake/

For more information on the ASARCO strike:

International Association of Mechanics and Aerospace Workers:
http://www.iamaw.org/content.cfm?cID=4986

International Metalworkers’ Federation:
http://www.imfmetal.org/main/index.cfm?n=47&l=2&c=11956

Mineweb News: http://www.mineweb.net/sections/base_metals/458190.htm

Reuters Article on Mexico Protest: http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/business/article.adp?id=20050812192709990005&cid=1222

ASARCO Timeline from the Arizona Daily Star: http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/allheadlines/88214.php

More on ASARCO bankruptcy from the Arizona Daily Star: http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/88210

ASARCO employees have been picketing near the Mission Mine, south of Tucson, since July 2. The employees are claiming that ASARCO is not negotiating a new contract in good faith.

Mexican copper workers postpone solidarity strike

The union that represents copper workers in northern Mexico postponed a 24-hour strike in solidarity with Arizona miners. The strike, which was set for August 12, was rescheduled for August 15. The Grupo Mexico holding company owns the mines on both sides of the border. According to a leader of the copper miners’ union, the reason for the postponement is to make the walkout coincide with a series of national protests.

In the US, miners at mines operated by a company known as Asarco, and also owned by Grupo Mexico, went on strike in July at plants in Arizona and Texas. Last week Asarco declared bankruptcy.

Right to work means right to work. ASARCO is Negotiating in GOOD FAITH, the lazy UNION GOONS are not. They can call me a SCAP but not LAZY. The only thing ASARCO is asking for( the right to cross train). The GOONS are against it because they might have to work.

Hey scab, you're right, the right to work does include you hard working, industrious types who are willing to forgo the common good for their own, selfish reasons. The unions are striking for you and every other worker out there. Negotiating in good-faith does not mean coming to the table and telling people what the deal is, it means working with everyone to form a fair deal. Grupo mexico will not do this and they have to learn that the real power of industry is in the hands of the laborers. If it was not for unions, you would be happily toiling away for 15 cents an hour. I'm glad you enjoy working scab, because if Grupo Mexico keeps screwing workiers you'll never be able to retire.

I worked for ASARCO for 25years plus....gave us an earlY BOOT BY closing the 100 old year plant, that had recently become one of the cleanest smelters in the world. Remember,I was an hourly worker for approx 15years and know what unions were all about since my grandfather (STARTED WORK IN 1918-retired 1953 ASARCO)FATHER (STATRED 1949- RETIRED 1989) ALL WITH FORTY YEARS OF SERVICE.Well let me remind you..hindsight,the unions fought for a great contract and guess what..they never got it.plant closed. I WAS TRANSFERs TO East Helena Mont. and guess what....thier contract expired they negoiated a good contract then.... the plant closed.
Let me tell you more.In early 1990 the EL PASO union took a paycut of 3.50hour just to save our jobs and we did.
It is NOT always about taking....negociations must look at everything.I have lived this union bullshit and now I have all the time in the world to sit here and say the unions were a thing of the 50's and you must now adjust to change.You are no longer dealing with an American company. El Paso ASARCO said they would wait 3years and starup in 2003....well its going on 6years and surprise I'll bet Grupo Mexico does not want unions lunching out their profits. What you all should have done is support your EL PASO UNION AND WALKED!!!WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR UNITY?????YOUR BROTHERS HERE IN EL PASO HAVE BEEN OUT OF A JOB FOR 6YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!
WHERE'S THE UNION BOYS!!!!!!

PARK THE UNION MACHINE AND SAVE YOUR JOBS!!!!!

You're right, you guys got screwed, but it had nothing to do with the union and everything with the company. Once the workers once again flex their power, as was needed in the 50's, maybe the large corporations will begin to see that you are a person, entitled to a job instead of just moving the operation to peru. Be mad, very mad, but not at people in your same boat who are trying to fight for themselves, be mad at Grupo Mexico for treating workers like an expense instead of people.

Just look at Grupo Mejico;s copper operations wage structure in South America and Mexico. They have now aquired what they have always looked for. Technology upgrades and top of the line ideas built by ASARCO. Now its time that they will part with the unions....thats why they bankrupt......shutdown for maintenace......plus other stalls that are planned.....
You are no longer dealing with a good ol american company.

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