González and two other CTC leaders, on a U.S. speaking tour, described the accomplishments of Cuban workers in defending their revolution and contrasted it with the situation facing workers in the capitalist world, including some of the conditions they had already encountered themselves.

González, CTC secretary of international relations and a member of Cuba's National Assembly, was joined by Olga Rosa Gómez, general secretary of the National Union of Cultural Workers and also a National Assembly deputy, and Manuel Montero, director for the Americas in the CTC's international relations department.

The Cuban trade unionists spoke at an August 4 labor reception of 100 people, held at the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE) hall here, and at a community event at the Mission Cultural Center for the Latino Arts the next day.

The national tour was organized by the U.S.-Cuba Labor Exchange. The local tour committee here was made up of several union officials including Walter Johnson, secretary-treasurer of the San Francisco Labor Council; Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers union; and Brian McWilliams, president of the International Longshoremen's and Warehouse-men's Union.

González explained how Cuba had weathered the worst effects of the economic crisis in the early 1990s after suddenly being thrust into the capitalist market following the collapse of favorable trade relations with the Soviet Union. "In Cuba the economy shrank by 35 percent in one year. If the U.S. economy fell by 2 percent Wall Street might sink. Why did this not happen in Cuba? Because every measure we took was with the full participation of the people," he stated.

González was referring to measures taken to boost food production, get industry going again, and improve efficiency, including the development of tourism and other sources of hard currency to purchase needed goods and supplies.

He added, "We instituted new laws that were discussed by the unions and the people. The farmers discussed what measures to take. The neighborhood organizations discussed it. Eight million people out of Cuba's population of 11 million discussed this. Then and only then did the National Assembly pass them. There were things to which workers said no and these were not carried out. For example, taxes on workers' wages were not approved."

González noted that the Cuban trade unionists had been invited to attend a West Coast meeting of AFL-CIO officials held in Las Vegas. "It was interesting to tell them what women have been able to accomplish in Cuba and have not accomplished in the United States, what we've won in infant care, and the rights enjoyed by workers in Cuba," he said.

"I also spoke of what we saw in North Carolina, where immigrants have their visas and passports taken away. We went to other states where workers don't have the right to a union and can be fired or laid off at any time.

"When we see the opulence of Las Vegas and come back to San Francisco, where so many people don't have jobs; where workers get sprayed with pesticides as they work, where immigrant workers receive less than the minimum wage, pay a lot of money to be allowed to work, and are threatened with deportation--this is a society that doesn't convince us," said Gómez. "We have learned how difficult it is to organize a union in the United States, and then to collectively bargain for a contract."

González remarked, "We are convinced that Cuba has been able to accomplish what we've accomplished through solidarity with the people." Socialism is necessary, he said. In confronting the effects of the world capitalist market, "we know the dangers, but we're confident that after 40 years, we've raised the level of education and culture, information and political culture of our people. Our people know about Mumia Abu-Jamal. They know about the importance of the struggle in [the Puerto Rican island of] Vieques. We are confident in taking on the challenges and not allowing ourselves to be defeated in our principles."

Deborah Liatos is a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.