Baja union vows to block border on Wednesday

States white collar worker seek salary increase

By Omar Millán González2011-08-02T15:08:20+00:00

ROSARITO BEACH White-collar workers are promising to step up their contract dispute with the state by blocking the San Ysidro border crossing Wednesday afternoon.

A leader for the union that represents the 19,000 state employees, about half of whom work in Tijuana, said that Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna Millán has left them no option but to take such drastic measure.

On Monday, about fifty union members blocked the governors entrance through the main gate at Baja Film Studios, where he attended a press conference to announce that a major movie would be made there.

Throughout July, the workers picketed the governor at many of his public events across the state. The planned blockage of the border crossing on Wednesday takes the dispute to a new level.

Martín Plasencia, the unions secretary general, said they were forced to act because the governor has refused to sit down with members to listen to their demands.

The union is seeking an 8.5 per cent increase in salary, while the state government has offered 4.8 per cent.

For a month both sides have held firm in their positions. At times, the union members have temporarily walked off the job, forcing municipal governments to use their personnel to provide the administrative and support services the state workers would have otherwise provided.

The walk-offs have not severely affected the public but a blockage of the border crossing would cause chaos given the tens of thousands who travel through it on their way to San Diego.

Baja Californias secretary general, Cuauhtémoc Cardona, said state leaders have sat down with union leaders and explained that they cannot offer a greater raise given the economic situation, despite the fact that the state agreed to that increase last year.

For his part, Plasencia said that union leaders have had talks with state officials in the last month but have not reached agreement on a new contract. He blamed the governor for forcing the union to take a drastic measure that will undoubtedly affect thousands.

Omar.millan@sandiegored.com