Haitian Interlude

The Haitian workers movement, Batay Ouvriye, presented the following to Donna Shalala at the Hotel Villa Creole on the evening of March 12. They have an appointment with her delegation on March 15 to "discuss more precisely on the resolution of the situation of the janitors employed at the University of Miami, on the basis of the demands these organized workers sent us."

BATAY OUVRIYE
March 12, 2006

PRESS RELEASE - SOLIDARITY WITH U. MIAMI WORKERS

We, at Batay Ouvriye, received the invitation to a reception in honor of University of Miami President Donna Shalala and Author Dr. Laurie Garrett for a discussion about Haiti, its health care programs and problems. We consider this a worthy activity. We wish to take the occasion to point out, however, that while Mrs. Shalala is in this way demonstrating her concrete concerns for the health situation in Haiti, she is at the same time putting Haitian and many other workers on the line at the University she heads concerning the same basic needs!

Consequently, as we denounce these double standards, we exhort Mrs. Shalala to positively respond to the janitors' demands at the University of Miami, including those concerning health care. We extend our solidarity to these workers repressed and in struggle and, at the same time, urge the Haitian public in general to similarly support this just cause by urging Mrs. Shalala to do the right thing in this situation.