First paragraph (Teaser):

After days of street protests, marches, and rallies by the Salvadoran
social movement in opposition to the recent firing of over 10,000
workers,union workers are experiencing
increased repression by the Right-wing government of President
Francisco Flores. This morning Salvadoran Riot Police raided the
headquarters of STISSS, a prominent health care workers union and a
militant voice against the privatization of health care in El Salvador. The police are refusing to leave the building, and are not allowing anyone to enter or leave the headquarters. In response to these actions, members of STISSS, FESTRASPES (a federation of militant unions), and the FMLN have surrounded the building in protest. They are demanding that the Riot Police leave the STISSS
office peacefully, and that they stop the repressive attacks on the Labor movement. Your support is urgently needed!

Rest of the text:

Date: 1/18/02 11:08:23 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: laci...@igc.org (Don White)

[Spanish letters follows...]

======= CRISIS IN EL SALVADOR ===== LABOR UNDER ATTACK ! =======

Action Alert Update - Labor Movement Attacked by Riot Police

January 18, 2002

After days of street protests, marches, and rallies by the Salvadoran
social movement in opposition to the recent firing of over 10,000
workers,union workers are experiencing
increased repression by the Right-wing government of President
Francisco Flores. This morning Salvadoran Riot Police raided the
headquarters of STISSS, a prominent health care workers union and a
militant voice against the privatization of health care in El
Salvador. The police are refusing to leave the building, and are not
allowing anyone to enter or leave the headquarters. In response to
these actions, members of STISSS, FESTRASPES (a federation of
militant unions), and the FMLN have surrounded the building in
protest. They are demanding that the Riot Police leave the STISSS
office peacefully, and that they stop the repressive attacks on the
Labor movement. Your support is urgently needed!

If you have not already sent a Fax to President Flores or to the
Salvadoran Consulates to express your support for the demands of the
workers, send one today! Faxes sent by CISPES activists to the
Salvadoran Consulate in Boston have already elicited a response. The
General Consul responded with a commitment to bring our concerns to
the Salvadoran Minister of Foreign Relations. Political Pressure
works! Now that we have the attention of representatives of the
Salvadoran government, we must keep up the pressure. (If you receive
a response to your Fax, please send it on to the CISPES National
Office, Fax # (212) 465-8998.)

TAKE ACTION!

1. Fax President Flores (011-503) 281-0018 with the demands of the workers.
(See translation text in Attachment. Fax provided.)

2. Fax Salvadoran Consulates here in the US to express your concern
for and solidarity with the workers. (See translated text in
Attachment. Fax provided.)
Consulate Fax #s
Los Angeles: (213) 383 8599 Boston: (617) 567-8686 *note new #
Chicago: (312) 332-4446 New York: (212) 679-2835
Houston: (713) 270-9683 San Francisco: (415) 781-1136

3. SUPPORT THE MOBILIZING FUND!
Make tax-deductible check to "CISPES Education Fund" and we will wire
100% of the money to El Salvador to support the workers. Send your
donation to 130 West 29th St., 9th floor, New York, NY 10001; on the
memo line write "Mobilizing Fund."

In order to determine the volume of Faxes sent to President Flores
and to the Consulates, we ask that you send an email to the local
CISPES office nearest you to let them know you have faxed your
letters. Thank you.

Boston cyou...@earthlink.net
New York nyci...@mindspring.com
Albany alba...@igc.org
Los Angeles laci...@igc.org
San Francisco ba-c...@prodigy.net
Missoula snic...@mtwi.net
Seattle seac...@igc.org
Portland pca...@igc.org
Eugene cis...@efn.org
Olympia lmos...@attbi.com
Austin aust...@hotmail.com
Washington DC dc_c...@hotmail.com
National Office cisp...@people-link.net

Faxes to President Flores and Salvadoran Consulates - Please print,
format as needed, and fax. (These faxes are also provided in the
Attachment):

FAX
011-503-281-0018

Para: Presidente Francisco Flores

Lic. Francisco Flores
Casa Presidencial
San Salvador
Presente

Estimado Presidente Flores:

Me dirijo a usted para expresarle mi preocupaci—n por el despido de
m‡s de 10,000 trabajadores pœblicos y privados y por las medidas
llevadas a cabo por su gobierno en su af‡n de destruir los sindicatos
forzando a sus miembros a que se "retiren voluntariamente". El
despido masivo de sindicalistas bajo la excusa de la ley de "retiro
voluntario", no es m‡s que una acci—n desesperada de su gobierno por
destruir el movimiento sindical y por consolidar su plan de
privatizar lo que queda del sector publico en El Salvador.

Igualmente, me inquieta de sobremanera el reciente corte al subsidio
del agua y al dr‡stico incremento en el costo de la vida para todos
los Salvadore–os. Las acciones de su gobierno condenan, nuevamente, a
la mayor’a de los ciudadanos a mayor miseria, pobreza y muerte.

Las masivas protestas que se llevan a cabo en estos momentos,
demuestran que el pueblo de El Salvador se opone a los despidos, a la
privatizaci—n de los servicios pœblicos y al incremento en el costo
de la vida, al igual que al neoliberalismo en general.
Sus demandas son que usted y su gobierno:
1.- Cesen los despidos de trabajadores pœblicos y privados
2.- Reincorporen a los trabajadores despedidos
3.- Cesen la privatizaci—n y el concesionamiento de servicios pœblicos
4.- Le pongan un alto al incremento en el costo de vida para la poblaci—n.

Sigo de cerca el respeto a los derechos laborales y humanos en El
Salvador, y por ello le informo que me comunicare con mi Congresista
solicit‡ndole que se le niegue el Trato Preferencial de Comercio a El
Salvador o prŽstamo alguno, a menos que su gobierno le ponga fin a
las violaciones a los derechos de los trabajadores y de la poblaci—n.

Atentamente,

FAX

Los Angeles: (213) 383 8599 Boston: (617) 567-8686
Chicago: (312) 332-4446 New York: (212) 679-2835
Houston: (713) 270-9683 San Francisco: (415) 781-1136

Para: Estimado/a Consœl General de El Salvador

Estimado/a C—nsul General:

Me dirijo a usted para expresarle mi preocupaci—n por las violaciones
a los derechos laborales y humanos que se llevan a cabo en El
Salvador en estos momentos. Me siento consternado por que el partido
ARENA y el presidente Flores han despedido a m‡s de 10,000
trabajadores bajo la excusa del 'retiro voluntario' como parte de su
plan por destruir el movimiento laboral y privatizar lo que queda de
los servicios pœblicos.

Me preocupa tambiŽn la decisi—n del gobierno de incrementar el costo
a los servicios de agua, electricidad, colegiatura y a las cuotas de
pensiones, la cual considero es una flagrante violaci—n a los
derechos humanos de los salvadore–os.

SŽ que en El Salvador existe mucha oposici—n a los despidos y al
incremento al costo de la vida. Yo apoyo las demandas del pueblo
Salvadore–o y sus demandas a que el gobierno del Presidente Flores:

* Cese el despido de los trabajadores pœblicos y privados
* Reincorpore a los trabajadores despedidos
* Cese la privatizaci—n y el concesionamiento de los servicios pœblicos
* Le ponga un alto al incremento en el costo de la vida.

Le solicito que le comunique mi preocupaci—n y las demandas del
pueblo Salvadore–o al Presidente Flores.

Atentamente,