RIght now, SPT-SEIU members and leaders are holding a sit-in in Pedro Pierluisi's office, the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. Pierluisi is the sole representative in Congress of the 4 million American citizens who reside in Puerto Rico.

Members of SPT-SEIU took charge of the Resident Commissioner's office in San Juan earlier this morning, demanding that Pierluisi, as a Democrat, reject the Republican policies of Governor Luis Fortuño. "Pierluisi misrepresents himself in Washington as member of the Democratic Party, while advocating in Puerto Rico for every Republican, anti-worker measure ever taken on the Island," said Israel Marrero, vice president of SPT-SEIU and an active leader of Obama's campaign.

The Fortuño administration is gambling right now. They're betting that the ARRA funds will make up for any economic losses the 25,000+ lay-offs of public employees may cause. But that's not what the $2.9 BILLION in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act were intended to do. These funds were intended to help the Island create jobs--not make up for the economic fallout that could result from laying off over 10% of the Island's workforce. Yet according to federal reporting, Puerto Rico has created only 126 jobs.

SPT-SEIU is holding today's sit-in to demand that the Resident Commissioner sign a letter publicly repudiating his support for Article 3 of Law 7, the legislation which made viable the dismissal of over 25,000 public employees.

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.

Members of SPT-SEIU Local 1996 in Puerto Rico scored a victory when Superior Judge Carlos Dávila Vélez granted their petition to stop the Department of Education's (DE) plans to lay-off 6,000 workers on Friday, giving them an additional 30 days on the job. SEIU's petition claimed the DE failed to follow proper notification procedures requiring notice to workers 30 days prior to letters of dismissal.

Today the good news just kept on coming. In response to another national strike scheduled for this Friday, Puerto Rico's Board of Fiscal Reconstruction and Stabilization announced that state employee layoffs are to be postponed through at least January 8, 2010.

Over a hundred civil and labor leaders rushed to the SPT headquarters in Río Piedras to celebrate the victory tonight that is such great news for 6,746 SEIU members. "It is a victory, indeed," said Bishop Felipe Posada, a spokeperson of coalition Todo Puerto Rico con Puerto Rico. "But the struggle is not over." Posada announced the coalition is ready to resume talks with government, and not just on the subject of the lay-offs but on many other issues afflicting the people of Puerto Rico.

While the fight is far from over, this announcement is a powerful sign that the strong voices of labor, faith, and student leaders are being heard in San Juan. Nevertheless, the plans for a general strike and the agenda for Thursday vigil are still on. This good news doesn't change the fact that on Friday, the non-unionized workers will still be laid off. "In this extra time," says SPT-SEIU President Robert Pagan, "we must increase the pressure and give time to the Government to reflect on the damage done to the people of Puerto."

A scuffle erupted between protesters and the police on Thursday, after several hundred union members and activists finished a rally against Governor Luis Fortuño outside El Conquistador hotel, where the Governor held a conference with business companies on public-private partnerships. The hotel resort is in Fajardo, a town east of San Juan to which the Governor arrived by helicopter to avoid the protest.

Check out photos from the protest:

Rally participants from coalition Todo Puerto Rico Por Puerto Rico and journalists were pushed by the police riot squad in Fajardo, with police officers claiming the protest was already finished and some "troublemakers" did not want to leave the premises. The protest was called to condemn the nearly 20,000 layoffs of public employees--which includes over 7,000 members of SEIU Local 1996SPT--by Gov. Fortuño's administration, and his initiatives for the private sector to take services and state project.

President of SPT-SEIU Robert Pagan said his union is in talks with the Obama administration to discuss federal economic stimulus funds given to Puerto Rico being used to lay-off public employees.

The economic crisis in Puerto Rico is fast racing towards a depression-era level. The unemployment level is already at 17 percent, and Governor Fortuño's recent pink-slipping of 17,000 government workers to take effect Nov. 6 will only make things worse. If not stopped, Puerto Rico's unemployment rate could easily reach that of New Orleans post-hurricane Katrina.

Gov. Fortuño said the job cuts, expected to save $386 million, are necessary because the government faces a $3.2 billion deficit this year. These numbers are certainly nothing to sniff at---but I can't help but wonder about the money Puerto Rico has received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Thanks to these funds, other states in crisis have already generated thousands of new jobs in green sectors, sustainable energy, information technology, and infrastructure. But according to federal reporting, Puerto Rico has created only 126 jobs after receiving $2.9 BILLION in ARRA funds. Even with my rudimentary accounting knowledge, I'm pretty sure these numbers don't add up.

In a Huffington Post piece today, SEIU Healthcare Chair Dennis Rivera warns that "what started as a march in protest to the impending firings of public sector workers has turned into a movement to hold Governor Fortuño accountable for solving [Puerto Rico's] financial nightmare."

Failing to suppress turnout, the Governor's administration did its best to minimize the event, officially stating that 15,000 people turned out while the media estimates were 150,000 and organizers estimated closer to 300,000. Governor Fortuño and his administration are clearly aware that it's one thing to have a problem contained at home; it's quite another thing to become a problem in the eyes of Congress and the Obama administration.

While President Obama's vision for the U.S. economy is anchored in creating good jobs, affordable healthcare, and increasing accountability in the private sector, Governor Fortuño is clinging desperately to George Bush's failed economic agenda. This agenda protected the private sector and the very wealthy at all costs, decreased government accountability, and basically stacked the deck against the poor and middle class. And here we are one recession, an American Recovery Investment Act and a TARP Act later working our way out of it.

If Governor Fortuño and Puerto Rico's Resident Commissioner, Congressman Pierluisi can keep the problem quarantined within Puerto Rico, they too will get a free pass on accountability for their lack of a clear plan to revive the U.S. territory's plummeting economy. They will continue to apply "survival of the fittest" economics to Puerto Rico with no need to account for how America's multi-billion dollar funding to the island is invested.

Read the full piece at Huffington Post here. More on SEIU's blog about today's follow-up actions by Todo Puerto Rico Por Puerto Rico.

Less than a week ago, over 150,000 workers in Puerto Rico took to the streets to protest Governor Luis Fortuño's plans to lay off 17,000 state employees--and they're not stopping there. Tomorrow, coalition Todo Puerto Rico Por Puerto Rico will picket outside the meeting Governor Fortuño is having with business companies to discuss the privatization of public projects and agencies.

"This event is scheduled to sell public services to the businessmen who in turn may rehire recently fired workers with a minimum wage salary and with no rights," said SPT-SEIU Local 1996 president Roberto Pagan of tomorrow's picket. "This is the second stage of the massive layoffs ordered by Gov Fortuño, and we will fight it with the same passion as we did during the National one day General Strike." The meeting, originally scheduled for last Thursday, was re-scheduled for October 22nd when the same coalition called for a one day national strike on October 15th. The meeting was also moved from the Convention Center in San Juan to Hotel El Conquistador in Fajardo, a location miles northeast of San Juan. This has not deterred the coalition of determined activists and workers, who have spoken this warning on more than one occasion: "We will go wherever he goes."

Newspapers in Puerto Rico reported yesterday that the Governor's Republican image has deteriorated in the U.S. because of the his dismal handling of the labor situation in PR, and the widespread coverage the Oct. 15th General Strike received in U.S. And oh how far the Governor's star has fallen....Once a Republican Latino poster boy, now Fortuño is no longer warmly welcomed into his GOP colleague's campaigns.

Piggybacking off tomorrow's protest, superstar Latino artist René Pérez (aka Residente of Calle 13) will be presenting at the Latin MTV music awards in LA, where he's expected to speak out against the Governor's firings.

For an inadvertent visitor, there were plenty of street festivals going on in Puerto Rico on Thursday. Very loud music played on enormous loudspeakers, people were chanting and dancing in the streets and a very joyful ambiance was felt everywhere.

It wasn't a carnival happening in Puerto Rico though--it was the General Strike that mobilized over 150,000 workers and citizens to protest Republican Governor Luis Fortuño's massive layoffs. "It was tremendous. I've been in the labor movement for 44 years and this was the most impressive event I've ever seen. It was up there with the immigrant mobilizations of 2006," said Executive VP Eliseo Medina of the assembly of Puerto Rican workers. "It was one of the most diverse events that I've ever seen in a society. Lawyers, workers, students, psychologists, priests and minsters and nuns and everyday people. It was truly an amazing sight. It was pretty clear, our rejection of Governor Fortuño's policies."

Thursday's one-day national strike and rally was a first for many Puerto Ricans who had never taken the streets to protest before. As 'firsts' go, this one was quite impressive! On the morning of the 15th, seven marches from various locations across the Island converged at the main rally site in Hato Ray: Plazas las Americas, the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean. The shopping center was transformed into an enormous rainbow of flags and colorful banners, calling for a revoke of the law that authorized the firing of over thirty thousand public servants. According to reports, all mass public transportation was stopped, except for the trains. The port, docks and ferries in San Juan came to a halt, as did practically all public services across the Island. The public school system closed after only 2 percent of all students showed up for class, and all public universities were also closed.

SEIU Executive VP Eliseo Medina addressed demonstrators on their way to Plaza Las Americas during Puerto Rico's national strike on October 15, 2009

SEIU Healthcare chair Dennis Rivera, Local 1966SPT President Robert Pagan and Eliseo Medina joined the historic protest alongside hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican workers, SEIU members, faith leaders, students and citizens in what's being called 'the greatest public demonstration in Puerto Rico's history.' SEIU leaders have been in San Juan since Wednesday helping out the striking workers, as many of the laid-off workers are SEIU members. "It is critical. 7,500 members of SEIU are going to lose their jobs," SEIU Healthcare chair Dennis Rivera told The Hill. "If SEIU cannot help their members in their time of need, what good would this organization be?"

Even in the wake of largest demonstration in Puerto Rican history as the country's unemployment rate tops 17 percent, Governor Fortuño continues to parrot his plan to lay off 17,000 state employees made viable under Law 7 will not be repealed. While Governor Fortuño has made it clear that he's not going to listen to the citizens of Puerto Rico or the widespread opposition to his administration's policies, this fight is far from over. "The people have spoken, and they are not going to allow this administration to devastate the lives of working families, ruin the economy, and dismantle Puerto Rico's safety net," said Dennis Rivera. Members of SEIU Local 1996SPT, Local 1199 UGT and other unions and coalitions in Puerto Rico have pledged to continue protests against the job cuts in and outside of the Island.

As the impending date the massive layoffs go into effect creeps closer, thousands of civil servants are living in moments of despair and distress, wondering how they will pay their bills and feed their children after November 6th. Fortuño's draconian budget cuts and cancellation of workers' collective bargaining rights in response to the fiscal crisis is not an acceptable solution by the Government to the Island's already under-served citizens. It's up to us to turn up the heat on Congress and demand they hold hearings on Fortuño's anti-American actions: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/PRcivilrights

More on the strike and recent events in Puerto Rico on SEIU's Blog here. More photos from the October 15th strike here.

Enjoy the slideshow from today's strike by workers to protest Gov. Fortuño's layoffs--the largest demonstration in Puerto Rico's history. We'll keep the site and photostream updated as we get more from the ground in Puerto Rico.

Updates on all things Puerto Rico on SEIU's Blog here. You can also follow SEIU on Twitter for updates.

Watch today's general strike unfolding live in Puerto Rico right now, being streamed by Claridad:

Live Broadcast by Ustream.TV

Here are the facts about recent events in Puerto Rico leading up the October 15 strike:

• On September 25, the Fortuno administration announced it was cutting the jobs of 17,000 schoolteachers, social workers, healthcare workers and other public employees, effective this November 6.
• These lay offs are in addition to the 7,800 workers who were laid off by Governor Fortuno's administration last spring, bringing the total number to nearly 25,000 state government employees.
• In recent days, thousands of university students, workers, faith leaders and citizens have demonstrated, marched and held vigils in support of the working women and men who provide critical public services. Men and women have been threatened, physically attacked, and falsely arrested in some cases.
• On Friday, October 9, students at a high school in Canovanas, Puerto Rico protested the Governor's visit to a nearby public housing project. The protest ended in violence when police invaded the school, arresting teachers and students. Reports from El Nuevo Dia and other outlets show students being physically attacked and arrested on the spot. At least two students were seriously injured and nine were reportedly arrested.
• On Saturday, October 10, the Puerto Rican Civil Rights Commission announced it would investigate police in Canovanas for their actions.
• Later the same day, the Governor threatened to charge Puerto Rican citizens with "terrorism" if they take part in the national march planned for Thursday, October 15.

(For updates on Puerto Rico, stay tuned to SEIU's Blog here.)

On the morning of day one of the General Strike in Puerto Rico, organizers are already declaring the protest a great success.

Yesterday late in the afternoon, the owners of Plaza las Americas, the largest shopping mall in the Caribbean, announced that it would remain closed on October 15 "due to security reasons." Coincidentally, Plaza las Americas owners also happen to be some of the biggest contributors to the Republican Party and their henchman, Governor Luis Fortuño. So it's very appropriate that the main gathering location of the strike is in front of this very shopping center, to serve as a symbol of the greedy upper class that supports the draconian measures taken by the current Puerto Rican administration.

Two successful events that have already taken place today in the strike include the closing of Plaza Las Americas and more significantly, the defeat of fear. Hundreds of thousands of workers are now marching for justice, overcoming the campaign of media terror launched by the Puerto Rican Government during the last days. Protesters are marching from seven different locations of the Banks Zone in San Juan today, heading towards the southern side of Plaza Las Americas--which is expected to largest public gathering in Puerto Rican history.

Today's national protest is being led by the Todo Puerto Rico Por Puerto Rico, a coalition that is composed of unions, civic, professional, religious, community and other civil society organizations, and includes SEIU Locals 1996SPT and 1199UGT.

It's a very tense evening in Puerto Rico tonight--you can feel it in the streets and towns around the Island. Tomorrow the workers' movement and its allies will face a showdown with the Government police and paramilitary forces, as the general strike called to protest massive layoffs in the public service will begin in the early hours of the day.

Just three weeks ago, Republican governor Luis Fortuño announced that nearly 17,000 public servants would be fired by November 6. In response, several labor unions (SEIU, Change to Win, AFL-CIO, the Puerto Rican Workers Union and more) together with a larger coalition, Todo Puerto Rico Por Puerto Rico, called for a national one day strike.

Since then, the public protest has gathered broad support in all social spheres, while the Government attempts to start a media campaign of terror to prevent its success. First the Fortuño administration stated that participants in the strike might be charged as terrorists under the U.S. Patriot Act, and later that the anti-riot police unit and the National Guard would intervene to "guarantee that all principal routes are clear and not obstructed by protesters."

Augmenting the tense atmosphere felt throughout the country this week: the surprising announcement of the closure of all nine state university campuses--allegedly to prevent "terrorist activities" related to the general strike.

As of all this has been going on and hundreds of thousands prepare to protest, Governor Fortuño has managed to fill up his daily schedule. Negotiating with workers, you ask? Not quite. In an intense media blitz, Fortuño appeared on what to seem like every TV news program in Puerto Rico, making his not-so-very-subtle threats suitably known to the workers' unions and its allies: "The police and the National Guard troops will be ready to intervene in your protest."

The fear campaign extended to the private sector, where the Manufacturers Association, the Chamber of Commerce and Construction Enterprises joined together to issue a public announcement against the strike; assuring anyone listening that it will provoke an economic disaster and calling on the government to show a hand of steel against protesters.

In the meantime, the SPT (SEIU Local 1996) and UGT (SEIU Local 1199) members and leaders have been preparing all the details for a massive mobilization of citizens and workers to participate in the October 15 strike. Both union headquarters were a seething mass of members getting ready for the big day.

This we know: it will be a long and tense night. But then dawn will come, and it will be greeted by the sound of "panderos" [tambourines] and thousands upon thousands of people chanting slogans demanding "Work, Not Welfare!" And as the crowd grows larger and stronger there will be no fear, because solidarity will take its place.

We may have replaced George Bush last November, but Puerto Rico's version continues to wreak havoc on the island.

Despite campaign promises to the contrary, Puerto Rico's Republican Governor Luis Fortuño announced plans to eliminate the jobs of 30,000 public employees early next month.

On October 15, over 200,000 people are preparing to take to the streets in a general strike, and Fortuño is threatening to charge the protesters with terrorism.

Not even Karl Rove and George Bush tried that.

Ask Congress to hold hearings on Fortuño's anti-American behavior, and we'll be sure to send you a button designed by popular artist Antonio Mortorel. 

In recent days, thousands of university students have demonstrated and marched in support of the working women and men who provide critical public services to the people of Puerto Rico.

Those young demonstrators were threatened, physically attacked, tear gassed and falsely arrested in some instances.

Violating the civil rights of your own citizens is unacceptable...wherever you are.

Stand up for the civil rights of Puerto Rico's citizens by contacting your member of Congress to ask them to hold hearings on Fortuño's anti-American actions.

(For updates on Puerto Rico, stay tuned to SEIU's Blog here.)

During Puerto Rico's 2008 political debates leading up to the election of a new Governor, ex-governor Acevedo Vilá would repeatedly accuse his opposition, Luis Fortuno, of plans to shrink the government budget by eliminating 30,000 public employees. Fortuno would scoff and always repeat the same line: "Si Vota por Fortuño, Fortuño te Bota a ti," he would reply ["The only public employee that I am going to fire is Acevedo Vilá!"].

Imagine the public's suprise when just a few months after his inauguration, Fortuño announced the critical need to eliminate a disturbingly-large number of Puerto Rican workers. Exactly the number, as it so happens, as Puerto Rico's ex-governor repeatedly claimed throughout his campaign and debates: 30,000 public employees.

Less suprising was the public's reaction during Gov. Fortuño's first public appearance since announcing the firing of almost 17,000 government employees on September 25th: an egg was hurled at his head by one of the workers affected by the Gov.'s mass layoffs (he was also a previous Fortuno campaign supporter). During the press conference in Fajardo as Fortuno lavished praise upon himself for a new initiative he boasted would 'create jobs,' the worker shouted "Hypocrite, how dare you talk about jobs when you're getting rid of them!"...and let the egg fly.

Those who thought the stimulus funds ($176 million) dispersed under President Obama were meant to disseminate these kinds of massive layoffs were mistaken, as it turns out. Instead, as the funds stay undistributed and families suffer, Governor Fortuno is asking for money beyond the stimulus in order to bail out Puerto Rico's banking system. He's also seeking funds for Medicaid.

Adding to the understandable outrage of the island's working people? The Governor's administration has now threatened to charge picketing citizens for engaging in terrorism if their actions during the planned national October 15 protest infringes upon the flow of trade at the island's ports and other modes of transportation.

Labor leaders decided to hold a meeting to coordinate Thursday's upcoming event. "They do not expect us to go to their place after calling us terrorists, do they?" said Victor Villalba, the president of the Puerto Rican Workers Central, one of Puerto Rico's four union conglomerates including SEIU Local 1996SPT. Strike leaders refused to meet at Police headquarters after government officials unleashed their fear-mongering "terrorist" threats, and the meeting was unilaterally moved to striker's territory.
Everything happening within the political climate and daily growing number of protesters and marches in major cities of Puerto Rico is leading up to the general strike on October 15th...stay tuned as we bring you updates leading up the strike.

Puerto Rican Grammy award winning group Calle 13 announced they will speak out against Governor Fortuño's massive layoffs of nearly 17K public service workers live at the Latin MTV Awards on October 15th.

The award show is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, CA on the same day the national workers' strike will be taking place in Puerto Rico. The workers' strike, which is organized by All of Puerto Rico for Puerto Rico, a coalition which includes SEIU Local 1996SPT and UGT 1199 SEIU in its ranks, will be protesting the layoffs of 17,000 public employees made by the administration of Governor Luis Fortuño.

"Participating in this award show is a tool to communicate, live and in full color, what I really feel," says Calle 13's lead singer Rene Pérez, who will be a presenter at the high-profile music awards show next week where he'll be speaking about the Governor's firings. This will not be the first time Calle 13 has stood up on workers' behalf -- the Puerto Rican hip hop and alternative-reggaeton duo took part in a June 5th action in San Juan, where close to a 100,000 demonstrators protested against Governor Fortuño and his administration's layoffs and budget cuts.

The members of Calle 13 are not the only musicians using their star status to look out for workers -- thanks to seven-time Grammy winning singer Gloria Estefan, thousands of laid-off employees will be doing the conga for free at her concert tonight. The Cuban-born singer bought 2,000 tickets to her concert at the Puerto Rico Coliseum as a gift to those affected by the recent layoffs of public employees. The tickets were raffled off among the nearly 17,000 workers who found out last month that they'll be losing their jobs beginning November 6.

The temperature in the Puerto Rican labor climate keeps rising as tensions between the government and workers reach a new height as a result of Governor Fortuño's layoffs of 16,970 public employees last Friday. Puerto Rican workers, both organized and unorganized, continue to protest peacefully to demand a rollback of the layoffs.

Here's a quick snapshot of Thursday's Oct. 1 actions:

1. With SEIU local leaders at the helm, several labor leaders of the Labor Coalition burst into the 21st floor of the Labor Department yesterday morning, blocking the entrance to Secretary Manual Romano's office and demanding a meeting. After a two hour sit-in, the no-show from the Labor Secretary prompted the leaders to pronounce the position of the Secretary of Labor "vacant." Thankfully, no police brutality ensued. Hopefully the unauthorized police anti-riot unit that showed up after-the-fact found some other way to occupy their afternoon.

2. SPT-SEIU members led a demonstration in Yauco against Governor Fortuño Thursday afternoon, where the Governor arrived--and left--by air in a helicopter. What a man of the people, right? Undeterred by the Governor's departure, however, local SEIU members announced they will "follow him wherever he goes."

3. A spur-of-the-moment act of civil disobedience erupted at the Capitol after a group of public citizens were blocked from access blocked from access to the Senate session they'd traveled to the Capitol to view. Hundreds of public employees channeled their frustration peacefully, as they all sat down in front of the closed door and sang the national Puerto Rican anthem as they waited.

The group stayed until it was definite the doors wouldn't open for them, and then the sit-in ended peacefully, with the employees warning they would return. "We are not terrorists, we are not criminals. We are mothers and fathers after a little hope. We are going to make our rights be acknowledged and respected in a respectful way," said Carmen Judith Ruiz, an SEIU Local 1996SPT member who was laid off from the Department of Natural resources after 14 years.

4. The parents of special education students gathered in Caguas Thursday afternoon to protest what they referred to as the "dismantling" of the program that serves 20,000 kids in the region. The parents, who are understandably outraged, warned the government that they will not tolerate layoffs of the teachers that teach their children.

5. Devoted advocates of culture and education rallied in San Germán yesterday, protesting the discharge of all but one employee at the Porta Coeli church and museum (one of the oldest in the island).

6. Target Practice: Workers employed with Dept. of Education and Dept. of Corrections agencies in Hato Rey used their lunch break yesterday to work on their aim, throwing dozens of eggs at cardboard images of the Governor provided to the workers by their unions to help them "relieve some of the stress." We think they might be onto something here. After all, anyone who gets up and goes to work each day knows how important the occasional exercise in stress relief is to stay motivated and productive at your job. Could we be looking at a new favorite past-time for public employees?

According to reports, Governor Fortuño's personal security detail has been significantly beefed up since an incident on Tuesday when a protester threw an egg at him. The governor was holding a press conference in Fajardo to tout his new project for the improvement of the boats that carry passengers to the islands of Vieques and Culebrain. As the governor announced that the boats would be repaired in Fajardo, praising it as initiative to create jobs, one of the workers affected by the Gov.'s mass layoffs hurled an egg at the Governor's head, shouting "Hypocrite, how dare you talk about jobs when you're getting rid of them!"

Watch the egg-throwing incident unfold here:

After narrowly missing being hit by the egg, the Governor abruptly ended the press conference and left the area in a angry huff...but not before uttering this truly remarkable quote:

"I have nothing to say, because you, the press, decided to abandon me," he complained.

Nothing to say, really?! Has the Governor nothing to say to the families of the thousands of workers he's laying off? Or the hundreds of thousands of school children who will suffer when the Puerto Rican Department of Education loses federal funding?

How about all the patients who will have to wait in longer lines, and receive poorer services because of the cuts to the Health Department? Or all the seniors, battered women and neglected patients who will have no choice but to rely on crippled agencies decimated by ridiculous layoffs--especially as some of those jobs are paid with FEDERAL funds. And let's not talk about the abused kids and families struggling to get off welfare who will receive poorer services from an overstretched family department.

Unlike Governor Fortuño, we have plenty to say. And so did the dozens of protesters who arrived in the area, chanting "the people demand justice!" and "Fortuño is a coward!"

Today, news broke that the Governor's office bought all the remaining unsold seats (350) for a gala opening tonight featuring the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra at the new Performing Arts Center in Santurce. Reason: the Governor will be attending the event with his family and some members of Cabinet--and they don't want egg-throwers around.

"It is an audacity that the Government incurs expenses in times like this, where moderation should prevail in the costs to the treasury...and thousands of civil servants are living moments of despair and distress, having lost their jobs, wondering how they will bring bread to their children after November," said UGT president Juan Eliza Colon. At the very least, it doesn't look like the Governor is going to be shaking the public's new-found association of him + eggs anytime soon.

The second civil act of disobedience in three days protesting the Fortuno administration's massive lay-offs ended a little over an hour ago, when Puerto Rican labor leaders pronounced the Labor Secretary's position "vacant" after Secretary Miguel Romero failed to show up at his office for a meeting.

The leaders from the labor coalition All of Puerto Rico For Puerto Rico and SEIU-affiliated locals SPT (Local 1996) and UGT carrying out the action narrowly missed the police anti-riot unit that entered the building shortly after their exit. Members of the Tactical Operations Division (DOT) positioned itself in the 20th floor to reach the 21st floor, where the labor leaders had a sit-in to demand to have their voices heard by Secretary Romero. Watch live video from within the Dept. of Labor action here.

But much like Tuesday's display of police brutality at La Fortalez towards peaceful demonstrators at Gov. Fortuño's instructions, this too was unnecessary--the union representatives had already ended their sit-in, stood up and left the building, declaring "persona non grata" the incumbent Miguel Romero. What should also be noted is that the DOT was not even authorized to be on the 21st floor of the Dept. of Labor building--much less use bodily force to remove the labor leaders from the premises. "There has been no authorization to remove by force from the 21st floor," said Labor Affairs press secretary Sylvette Santiago.

The leaders arrived by surprise at the Labor Department a little after 8:00 am and took the elevator to the 21st floor, where Romero's executive office is located. After being rejected in their attempts to meet with Romero by the Press Secretary and the Undersecretary of Labor, they sat down and blocked the office entrance, demanding Romero's presence and shouting slogans. Labor coalition representative Jose Rodriguez Baez spoke on the group's action, saying ""We used the following approach to show this gentleman to be inefficient....[we declare Romero] persona non grata because he has not represented the workers. He has became the executioner of the workers." As the labor leaders exited the Department of Labor building, they were joined by dozens of protesters awaiting to be informed of their actions and kick off a rally right then and there.

"We accomplished what we came to accomplish", the labor coalition said collectively. "The seat of the Secretary of Labor is now pronounced vacant". At this moment, union members and supporters are having a rally outside the Dept. of Labor building.

Yesterday in San Juan, peaceful demonstrators outside of the official estate of Puerto Rican Governor Luis Fortuño were violently removed by SWAT team agents and arrested, despite assurances that they would leave peacefully and not resist arrest.

The act of civil disobedience was led by members of the Puerto Rican Workers union, SEIU Local 1996SPT, in reaction to the Governor's announcement on Friday to lay off 16,970 government employees. The disproportionate show of force against demonstrators included hitting people with billyclubs and those affected by the police brutality included workers as well as members of the press.

Labor leaders and other demonstrators protesting the massive 16K+ firing of Puerto Rican state employees are shoved and billyclubbed by SWAT team ordered by Governor Fortuño.

The CHAIN of events: What could have provoked such aggressive behavior from Puerto Rican law enforcement officials, you may be wondering. A large group of peaceful demonstrators standing up for their jobs and working families, that's what!...Read on after the break for a detailed look at Tuesday's protest at La Fortalez in Old San Juan.

Puerto Rican union leaders instituted a 'Camp of Dignity and Shame' today in front of La Fortalez, the official estate of the Governor of Puerto Rico. "This is Camp Dignity and we will not move from here," said Robert Pagán, president of SEIU Local 1996SPT , who is one of four union leaders who chained themselves to the gates of Governor Luis Fortuño's home in an act of civil disobedience to stand up against the announcement from the government dismissing thousands of public sector employees.

The lay-off announcement came this past Friday from the chairman of the Reorganization and Fiscal Stabilization Board, Carlos García, a decision which he himself said will raise Puerto Rico's unemployment rate to 17 percent and further increase the economic crisis. A total of 16,970 public employees will be laid off, with the Education Department hit the hardest with over 7,000 layoffs. SEIU Local 1996SPT represents most (over 6,000 workers) who are part of laid-off Education workers.

With this symbolic gesture, the union members of SPT & UGT are making a (peaceful) but powerful appeal to the public to show their support for the workers by gathering with them in front of La Fortaleza. They are also demanding that Gov. Fortuño engage them in dialogue from where they have determinedly gathered outside his home, which is also in front of the Governors' office. There will be no substitutes for the people who are chained to the Governor's gates--not even to go to the bathroom. "Es el momento de lucha en la calle, de transformar la indignación que todo el pueblo está sintiendo en acción," said Pagán. ["It's time to fight in the street, to transform the indignation that all people are feeling inaction."]

The peaceful act of civil disobedience and upcoming October 15th general strike is supported by virtually all of organized labor in Puerto Rico including SPT and UGT, as well as a broad coalition of religious and civic groups. "Esta es sólo una primera actividad de decenas de desobediencia civil que irán dirigidas al gobernador Fortuño, a los legisladores y al sector económico que apoya al Gobernador en esta política malsana", said SPT president Robert Pagán. ["This is only a first of tens of civil disobedience actions that will target governor Fortuño, legislators and the industry sector that supports the Governor in this unhealthy policy."]

More updates on this demonstration to come shortly--stay tuned.

Led in part by SEIU Local 1996 in Puerto Rico, close to 100,000 union members, students, and other activists marched in front of the capitol building in San Juan last week to protest Governor Luis Fortuño's plan to lay off more than 30,000 government employees and suspend public sector collective bargaining rights. Puerto Rico is currently in its fourth year of recession and has an unemployment rate of more than 15 percent. Governor Fortuño has since agreed to meet with representatives from the laid-off workers.

If you think agree that workers should not be made to pay the price for a crisis they did not create, send a letter to the Governor of Puerto Rico in strong protest of these anti-union and anti-public sector measures. Layoffs of public sector employees are set to begin on July 1, so please take action now: Click here to send a letter telling Governor Fortuño not to cut public sector services and jobs.