Solidarity
Network
-From Inevitable Revolutions, by Walter LaFeber, page 135
May Day, International Workers Day, began as a movement in the United States to achieve an 8 hour working day. It is now a major event around the world and has become a symbol of resistance to corporate-led economic globalization. This May will mark the year anniversery of the strike at the Los Alamos plantation. The May Day delegation will offer delegates the opportunity to stand in solidarity with banana workers as they continue to organize, despite tremendous opposition, for decent wages and working conditions.
Alvaro Noboa. Alvaro Noboa, "The Banana King of Ecuador", is CEO of the Noboa corporation, and one of the wealthiest men in the world. Besides Bananas (Noboa owns the Bonita brand), Noboa also dominates distribution of flour, fish, shrimp, and Quaker oatmeal. Noboa has long had presidential aspirations; he has been presidential candidate three times and three times he has lost. In the last election, Noboa created his own political party, the PRIAN. Noboa has often said that he "loves his workers" and favorite campaign statement was that he "loved the poor". Even though Noboa lost the election, his Prian party obtained congressional positions. Currently, they are trying to use that position in Congress to take control of the Congressional commission in charge of investigating Human Rights violations, an obvious attempt to obviate congressional investigation into the Noboa Corporation's mistreatment of banana workers.
Lucio Gutierrez. Noboa lost the election to Lucio Gutierrez, retired Colonel, and protagonist in the January 2000 uprising/coup that overthrew then president Jamil Mahuad. Gutierrez made a political alliance with the powerful indigenous organization, CONAIE, and has promised to be on the side of Ecuador's poor, some 80% of the population. The election of Gutierrez represents a significant change in Ecuadorian politics and opens new political spaces for social organizations, including Labor. Since his inauguration mid-January, Gutierrez has wavered some on his promises for "radical change through constitutional means" and has been criticized from within his own alliance. Nevertheless, Labor groups, especially FENACLE, have been active in thier pursuit of significant labor reform now more possible with Gutierrez in power. This activity has paralleled continued grassroots organizing on the part of banana workers.
The delegation will look at the current campaign for national labor reform and its potential to affect local realities. We will look at how significant the labor organizing at Los Alamos and other Noboa plantations is for the rest of the banana sector. While the focus of the delegation is labor in the banana sector, we will also meet with other labor groups, such as the Electrical Workers Union, who have been active, and very successfull, in resisting moves to privatize the electrical sector, and possibly meet with organizing workers from flower plantations. This will give a better understanding of the labor situation in Ecuador and offer unique perspectives on labor in a globalized economy. We will meet with human rights organizations, government officials, U.S. Embassy representatives, and representatives of the national indigenous organization, CONAIE, who now share power in the new government.
Some of the overriding themes and goals of the trip are: The potential impact of the FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) for labor; What are the possible consequences of Plan Colombia for the labor sector and how are Plan Colombia and the FTAA related; Grassroots and National Labor organizing and resistance stratagies and the role of international solidarity.
The May Day delegation will be a working delegation, meaning that it will be based on group discussion, analysis, reflection, and strategizing. It will offer delegates a unique opportunity to be active in planning the role of the Ecuador Solidarity Network in the labor struggle. Moreover, it will ask and prepare delegates to be active upon thier return to the United States, not only in terms of the Ecuador Solidarity Network, but in conjunction with organizations, such as USLeap and Campaign for Labor Rights, already involved and leading the campaign in the U.S. for labor rights in Ecuador.
Estimated Cost of the delegation: $500 (not including airfare, which averages $600-700)
Tentative Schedule**:
Friday, April 25: Arrive to Quito, evening.
Saturday, April 26: Introduction to Quito. Travel north of the city to the Cayambe Valley. Meet with organizing workers from a flower plantation. Afternoon/evening in the indigenous town of Otavalo.
Sunday, April 27: Talk on contemporary Ecuadorian history. Tour Quito�s colonial center; meet with church
leaders opposed to Plan Colombia, learn of the role the church plays in grassroots labor struggles. Monday-Tuesday, April 28-29: Meet with Government representatives; human rights organizations; U.S. Embassy; Electrical Workers Union and indigenous political groups.
Wednesday, April 30: Meet with Labor Groups in the city of Guayaquil. Travel to banana plantation to meet with organizing workers.
Thursday, May 1: May Day march with labor groups and banana workers through Guayaquil.
Friday, May 2: Visit another banana plantation; time permitting, visit mining area and impacted communities
Saturday, May 3: Evaluation with labor groups. Night flight return to US from Guayaquil.
**Delegates may arrive as early as the 24th and stay as late as the 5th, with the ESN.