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."

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?

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.

SEIU members in Florida have helped beat an anti-union ballot initiative designed to undermine Employee Free Choice and deny workers their rights. Through a grassroots campaign, Florida members defeated the so-called "Save Our Secret Ballot" initiative, part of a national campaign led by big business and right-wing think tanks. This amendment (House Joint Resolution 1013) hides behind the false pretense of protecting democracy for workers by 'protecting the secret ballot,' while the real goal is to restrict workers' ability to have a voice in the workplace.

SEIU Florida members weren't fooled by this misleadingly-named amendment and were able to keep this initiative off the ballot--an initiative that was not only unconstitutional but would have also have had a particularly negative effect on Florida public sector workers. SEIU Florida members made over 2,600 calls and delivered more than 1,000 postcards to key legislators. Nearly 30 SEIU members lobbied in Tallahassee and 50 members held a march in front of Hasner's office in Delray Beach. Bravo!

On March 19, 2009 at Miguel Contreras Learning Complex in LA, Robin Lewis of SEIU Local 721 told President Obama directly how important health care reform is for her son, Kolin, when the President looked for her after his LA town hall.

"He found me after and he came up to me and said 'Now what was your question. I need to know your question,'" Lewis said.

Lewis told him, "I need your help. My son has a cancerous brain tumor and I need some help. The American people need help. We need to reform health care and I want to help you do it." Lewis's 20-year-old son, Kolin, needs regular medical attention as he continues to recover from a brain tumor.

Although Robin Lewis receives family health benefits through her job with the LA County Dept. of Children and Family Services, like hundreds of thousands of young Californians, her son lost his coverage under her plan when he turned 18. The high risk of her son's cancer reoccurring require that he receive continual medical care and MRI's every year--all of which are extremely costly.

Despite a memory disability and enduring months of physical therapy to regain the use of his left side, relearn to walk and dress himself and many other basic functions, Kolin graduated from high school and is now taking classes at Fullerton Junior College each semester. He is currently receiving health coverage through a patchwork of Medi-Cal and other benefits, but he'll lose this coverage when he turns 21. Paying for private insurance for Konlin will cost more than one-third of Lewis' income, and without health care reform she's not sure how they'll get by.

After the town hall, Lewis says "the president got my information and he told me he would help me and I would be in his prayers and that we would fix health insurance."

"It's heartbreaking to not be able to take care of your child's health," said Lewis. "We need to have affordable health care in this country and it shouldn't be dependent on your job or age. I have hope President Obama will keep health care a priority."