As the labor movement in Honduras finalizes the last minute details for the massive May Day marches that will take place in the capital of Tegucigalpa and the banana region of San Pedro Sula, nine U.S. unions send the Honduran labor movement a letter of solidarity in commemoration of International Workers' Day 2010.
The labor movement in Honduras continues to play a pivotal role in the National Front of Popular Resistance (FNRP), which is calling for and initiating an open consultation with the people of Honduras for a national assembly that would involve all sectors in society in writing a new constitution. Modeled after constitutions recently passed in Bolivia (2009), Ecuador (2008) and Venezuela (1999), a new Honduran constitution would guarantee and expand basic rights of the sectors that make up the resistance, such as land rights for campesinos and indigenous peoples, women's rights and basic labor rights.
Repression and violence have failed to cease in Honduras. In less than eight weeks, six journalists have been assassinated. Acknowledging the critical and historic struggle in which the Honduran labor movement finds itself, U.S. unions pledge to stand with the workers of Honduras. The original letter was sent in Spanish and can be view here. The English translation follows:
US Union Letter of Solidarity to the Honduran Union Movement
International Workers Day 2010
May 1, 2010
Dear brothers and sisters of the Honduran trade union movement:
In celebration of International Workers' Day, we send fraternal greetings of solidarity to all the workers of Honduras and their allies. The labor movement of Honduras is engaged in a historic struggle for justice, as the brave Resistance challenges the ongoing defacto regime, its violent intimidation of the Honduran people, and widespread violations of basic human rights. We pledge to stand with you in the fight for justice for working people and for all Hondurans and in your efforts to exercise your basic labor rights in spite of the obstacles.
In solidarity,
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU)
International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA)
Services Employees International Union (SEIU)
UNITE HERE
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE)
United Steelworkers (USW)
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