Honduran construction workers building the new @usembassyhn are outside the current embassy right now asking @USAmbHonduras Laura Dogu to come out and address their grievances re:labor abuses by @StateDept contractor @BLHarbert.
There’s some Honduran media there- this is a reporter with @HCHTelevDigital. I’ll link to articles as they come out.
@HCHTelevDigital Sign held by protesting @BLHarbert worker reminds @USAmbHonduras/@Trabajohn "Art.79 of the [Honduran] constitution stipulates: All persons have the right to public assembly & peaceful demonstration relating to their common interests of any kind w/o special permit or notification"
Another video of @BLHarbert workers protesting right now across the street from @usembassyhn, getting lots of support from people driving by. That massive bldg behind them is the @USAIDHonduras headquarters.
Standing by this morning watching the @usembassyhn construction workers protesting labor abuses by @BLHarbert were men from @State_OBO in vests and Robert Wahl, the white-shirted USG operations coordinator known to the workers—in classic Prisión Verde fashion—as “Mr. Bob.”
New 🧵re: striking @BLHarbert construction workers building the new @usembassyhn. Remember knife threat gringo from my previous 🧵? The embassy whisked him out of the country hours later to avoid Honduran jail. Great job modeling #RuleOfLaw, @StateDept!
Since last week, @BLHarbert & @usembassyhn have doubled down on their illegal practices & harassment in an effort to wear down striking workers—who like most Hondurans are poor & have gone a month w/o pay—so they'll accept unsafe, immoral & unlawful working conditions.
For example, the attorneys workers had hired, Obed Alejandro Rivera Lopez & Emerson Eduardo Oreilly Lagos, suddenly turned on them & insisted they accept the original illegal contract they'd hired them to challenge, which workers cite as clear evidence @BLHarbert bought them off.
Good morning! Here's a new thread on labor & human rights violations by @StateDept contractor @BLHarbert at the construction site of the new @usembassyhn. To start off, a video of Quality Control Manager Russell Brown, threateningly pulling a knife this AM in a crowd of workers:
This thread picks up from the previous one, which you can find here:
I'll start by posting some images & links from Honduran media reports on the fight of workers building the new @usembassyhn for their human and labor rights to be respected by @StateDept and its contractor @BLHarbert. Here are some screenshots from various media sources:
Yesterday, construction workers building the new @usembassyhn engaged in a work stoppage & peaceful assembly & march to protest @USAmbHonduras's complicity in @BLHarbert's labor abuses again.
Yesterday again, @BLHarbert workers protested against atrocious labor violations while building the new @usembassyhn, as their representatives went to @Trabajohn to continue their 24-day attempt to negotiate a resolution. Suspecting corruption, they called another protest today.
Construction worker and leader Adolfo Álvarez speaking to the @usembassyhn just now, requesting they send a representative to the negotiating table at @Trabajohn Monday at 1pm, and clarifying their simple ask that @BLHarbert comply with Honduran law.
New thread re: Honduran workers building new @usembassyhn protesting atrocious labor conditions by @StateDept contractor @BLHarbert. This one is going to be a doozy, so stay tuned throughout the day. Here: workers starting this AM poignantly, w/national anthem. #Sovereignty
@usembassyhn@StateDept@BLHarbert What are these workers protesting? The list of abuses by contractor @BLHarbert is long. One of the complaints is dangerous working conditions. Apparently @StateDept thinks saving money on building its new fortress is worth quite a few unremunerated Honduran fingers.
Workers tell me ~6 workers have been summarily fired after their fingers were amputated. No severance pay, no healthcare. This is Adam Lance Weiss, onsite Health & Safety Manager w/@BLHarbert, in one shot w/the Washington monument, super appropriate imperialist symbolism.
One aspect of the dissolution of the USSR that I hadn't previously considered, was the tremendous new source of profit in @StateDept embassy construction. In this 2014 puff piece, @BLHarbert CEO Billy Harbert explains: bizjournals.com/birmingham/pri…
"In 1992, the Berlin Wall came down & @StateDept had to build 12 new embassies in the new Commonwealth of Independent States. We were awarded 4 of them in Transcaucasia & we spent the next 4 years building new facilities in countries which were formerly part of the Soviet Union."
Since the construction boom made possible by the neoliberal takeover of formerly socialist economies (w/ devastating consequences for citizens) @BLHarbert has made many billions from US taxpayer $$$s on the terror threat, building & rebuilding fortress embassies around the world.
Construction workers at the site of the new @usembassyhn in Tegucigalpa are out early this morning for a second day of work stoppage protesting labor abuses by @StateDept contractor @BLHarbert. I’ll post here as I get updates. #Honduras#Solidarity
@usembassyhn@StateDept@BLHarbert Direct action (+lots of solidarity) on the way to getting the goods this AM for workers building the oversized fortress that will be the new @usembassyhn in Honduras. Workers showed up @ 5am; soon after a (US) manager from @BLHarbert came out to meet them & hear their demands...
@usembassyhn@StateDept@BLHarbert The workers at the new US Embassy in Honduras (apparently all 900 of them) are refusing to start up work again until @BLHarbert signs their list of demands. There is some sort of delay in getting it translated. Took me five minutes to do this very rough translation.