Guanajuato Outreach Yields Results!
Perspective written by Chris Benoit, Volunteer
From June 13 to June 18 two outreach workers, Julio Cesar Fernandez and Chris Benoit, toured several regions of Guanajuato state searching for workers who could participate in three massive collective actions being heard in federal court in the United States.
The three cases tackle deeply disturbing wage violations committed by three large companies in the landscaping, forestry, and agricultural industries. In each case, any worker with the same facts may join these cases, but attorneys in the United States have not been able to elicit much of a response from mass mailings to potential participants.
That is where CDM comes in. Julio and Chris held several meetings in the towns of Celaya, Salvatierra, Acambaro and various small ranches in the nearby countryside. The workers treated us graciously and we were able to collect dozens of new participants for these important cases.
Workers were often surprised that Julio and Chris spent the day hitchhiking to their community only to inform them of these cases and help them in their decisions. As a participant in the town of Juventino Rosas said, "I didn't understand this case until today. If you did not come to our ranchito, I never would have taken advantage of this important opportunity."
As the week continued forward, and our two advocates collected more and more signatures, word spread through the communities that we were in the region. In total we were able to get the word out to over fifty workers, most of whom decided to demand their rights in these cases.