US Unions Show Support for Johnson Controls Workers from Mexico

Union workers in Wisconsin showed their support for workers in Mexico fighting for an independent union at a rally and well-covered press conference in Milwaukee on Friday, June 18 outside of the headquarters of Johnson Controls.

The Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC) and Wisconsin State AFL-CIO with strong support from the American Federation of Teachers Local 212's Michael Rosen and immigrant rights' group Voces de la Frontera provided a warm welcome in Milwaukee to Johnson Controls worker Isidoro Jorge Aguila Lara as well as Carlos Esquer, representative of the Mineros mineworkers union to which the Johnson Controls workers affiliated, and Blanca Velasquez Diaz, the coordinator of the Puebla-based labor rights NGO Centro de Apoyo al Trabajador (CAT).

Speakers at the press conference included MALC Secretary-Treasurer Shelia Cochran and State Senator Spencer Coggs.  Coverage on the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO blog provides links to the extensive press coverage, which included Wisconsin Public Radio.  Nevertheless, Johnson Controls maintained its position and refused to meet with the delegation from Mexico, saying any such meeting would be more appropriate in Mexico.

The press conference at the headquarters of JCI was preceded by local community events in Milwaukee and Chicago. On June 16, Steelworkers from District 7 in Chicago hosted the delegation and expressed their commitment and solidarity to the JCI workers' struggle.