A delegation of public workers from Puerto Rico, members of Servidores Públicos Unidos de Puerto Rico (SPUPR), AFSCME Council 95, visited Washington, DC, to meet with members of Congress and U.S. Treasury officials to discuss the fiscal and budgetary challenges faced by working people on the island. The delegation also urged Congress to increase the Medicaid contribution to Puerto Rico and eliminate caps.
AFSCME representatives of the island’s public workers have taken the lead in searching for a solution to the current fiscal crisis that prioritizes the wellbeing of working people and preserves the government’s essential services.
“The public sector is one of the most affected by the crisis in our country, so it is important that Congress hear this message from public workers,” said Annette González, president of SPUPR. “To us it is necessary and inevitable for the federal government to adopt a more prominent and supportive role for Puerto Rico.”
The delegation’s visit had the following goals:
- Presenting to Congress and the U.S. Treasury the fiscal and budgetary challenges that Puerto Rico faces and how they are affecting those who count on public services and the workers who provide them.
- Expressing opposition to government proposals aimed at eliminating fundamental labor rights such as the 8-hour work day, and attempts to reduce or eliminate the minimum wage and other labor standards.
- Requesting that the percentage contribution the federal government gives to Puerto Rico under Medicaid be raised and the cap eliminated. Federal health programs are vital for Puerto Rico because of the high level of poverty on the island. Yet, Medicaid payments to Puerto Rico are lower than funds paid to states.
Also, members of the delegation told the personal stories of those who have suffered enormously from the crisis. “Our goal was to show the faces of those who are affected every day by erroneous decisions or the absence of decision making in addressing the crisis,” González said.
Treasury Department officials also met with Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla, and on Sept. 17 urged Congress to provide Puerto Rico with legislation allowing the island to restructure its debts.
Meanwhile, upon their return, SPUPR members participated in a march defending labor rights.
For more information on the delegation’s visit and to see photos, please go to SPUPR’s Facebook page.