Protests and tears marked "Infamy Day" in Puerto Rico, as thousands stood up for the nearly 3,000 public employees laid off as of November 6. Despite delaying layoffs until after the holidays, Puerto Rican government officials continue to state that "there is no way back" and that by January, 2010, there will be nearly 30,000 fewer public employees on the books.
The massive layoffs are throwing workers out into a strained economy that's starved for jobs, and thousands of Puerto Ricans found a way to express their feelings towards the dismissals on Thursday and Friday. "They're messing with the rice and beans of poor people," said Carmen Latorre, 49, who is losing her $21,110-a-year position as a janitor after 10 years of service with the Department of Education.
Some marched. Some turned on their car lights and sounded their car horns; others stopped traffic and stuck crosses on the highway. Some entered mayor's offices and were escorted out by police. Some tried to enter the Capitol building and were denied access. Some went to the Governor's house to deliver a letter informed him he was firing him from office; some asked for a recall vote. Many prayed. But everywhere in the Island, the sentiment expressed by people to the media was the same: frustration, anger and annoyance.
The night before "Infamy Day," large numbers of Puerto Ricans took part in national vigils held across the Island. SPT-SEIU members marched from the Capitol to La Fortaleza, carrying lit candles and demanding a halt to the layoffs--check out some photos from the action here:
Over the past month, the voices of a few thousand workers have grown into a movement of hundreds of thousands of concerned citizens, clergy, university students, and labor leaders. Together, they're fighting not just to ensure the livelihoods of thousands of working families, but to hold Governor Fortuño accountable for creating an economy that works for everyone in Puerto Rico. One worker who is to be laid off from his job as a driver and messenger for Arpe Internal Resources in January, Carmelo Ramos, had this to say: "I do ask the general public to support us, because today it may be me, but tomorrow you could find yourself in the same situation. I know that if the people unite we can stop this."'
Puerto Rico Gov. Fortuño Attacks SEIU for Crimping his "Status Bill": Meanwhile, Governor Fortuño is feeling the purple heat. In Puerto Rico's national paper El Nuevo Dia on Friday, Fortuño attacked SEIU for allegedly lobbying in Washington to delay his "status bill," which would secure a status plebiscite in Puerto Rico.
