From : Western Hemisphere Conference (theorganizer@labornet.org)

date July 17 1998

Attacks on Mexico Bus Drivers Union

Activists in the U.S. and international labor movement

recall the heroic struggle of the 12,000 SUTAUR-100 bus

drivers in Mexico who, beginning in January 1995, stood up

to the most ferocious government attacks in their quest to

prevent privitization of the Mexico City bus transportation

service.

For more than a year they carried out a strike that shook

Mexico's political establishment. Unfortunately, however,

their strike remained relatively isolated within Mexico.

Fatigue set in despite the widespread international

solidarity with the strike--and the unuion leaders were

forced to accept an agreement with the Mexico City

government that saw them acquiescing to the privatization

of the bus service in exchange for the creation of union-

run transportation cooperatives that were to provide jobs

for 8,000 bus drivers.

No sooner was the agreement signed, however, than the

government reneged on its part of the deal. Only 3 of 7

projected cooperatives were to be created, offering jobs to

no more than 3,000 workers. Nor were the charges dropped

against the 12 leaders of the union who had been framed and

then jailed for 14 months. Though the union leaders were

released from prison, they still had to report to the

police twice week and could not travel outside the country.

Like Ron Carey of the Teamsters, the 12 SUTAUR-100 leaders

were accused--without a fair trial or even a hearing--of

embezzling the funds of the union. One federal judge,

Abraham Polo Uzcanga, who refused to sentence them on the

grounds there was no evidence for their detention, was

kidnapped, then killed. Immediately, the ruling PRI

government found a new judge willing to carry out the

sentencing.

In mid June 1998, as a result of continued pressure from

the union and its allies internationally, the charges

against the 12 union leaders were dropped and the union's

funds were unfrozen. At the same time, however, armed goons

linked to the government have carried out a series of

violent actions against the leaders of the bus drivers'

union. One of the goons, Leonel Villafuerte, is the former

general secretary of the union. He is working closely with

armed PRI thugs and already has ransacked the unions's

headquarters.

Jorge Cuellar Valdez, who has traveled on numerous

occasions to the United States to build support for his

union, has been targeted by these goons and is in serious

danger. He was one of the keynote speakers at the Western

Hemisphere Workers Conference, held in San Francisco last

November.

Brother Cuellar, secretary treasurer of the SUTAUR-100,

agreed to answer questions about the current situation in

the union and the dangers he faces. The interview was

conducted in Mexico City by Luis Vasquez, editor of El

Trabajo (The Toiler) newspaper.

Alan Benjamin

WHC Continuations Committee

EL TRABAJO:

In recent weeks, the Mexican media have reported multiple



confrontations among workers of the SUTAUR-100 bus drivers

union.They portary this as a conflict among opponents and

followers of Ricardo Barco Lopez, the founder and longtime

adviser of the union. What's really happening?

Jorge Cuellar Valdez: AS part of the 'political agreement'

that put an end to our strike, we accepted--under extreme

duress--the Mexico City authorities' proposal to form

cooperative ventures that were to be run with the resources

of the bus drivers. Our members put 70% to 80% of their

severance payments into an 'investment fund'--and 3

transportayion companies were founded. 2 were bus

companies, one was a taxi cooperative.

WRITING CURTAILED TO CONSERVE ON ACCOUNT TIME AND EXPENSES. -PAUL 1:31 AM Eastern Standard Time