The "virtual" union leader

The Globe & Mail had another interesting story today... this time by mining reporter Andy Hoffman.

Napoleon Gomez Urrutta, General Secretary of Mexico's National Miner's and Metalworker's Union lead a strike of 20,000 Mexican workers yesterday...from exile in Vancouver, British Columbia!

Napoleon Gomez Urrutia has been leading the National Miners' and Metalworkers' Union of Mexico while in exile on Canada's west coast for more than two years now, with help from modern technology.

"I keep running the union from here through video conferences, e-mails, phone calls and frequent visits from my colleagues," Mr. Gomez said in an interview yesterday.

The 62-year-old hasn't been able to return to Mexico because he is likely to face arrest on government charges of corruption and embezzlement, allegations he denies.

Across Mexico yesterday, union workers from steel mills to gold mines halted work.

The workers are protesting the government's failure to recognize the re-election earlier this month of Mr. Gomez as the union's general secretary.

The strike slowed or ceased production at several mining and steel-making operations, according to wire reports from Mexico.

See "Mexico's striking miners heed the call from B.C."

With our increasingly globalized economy, workers and unions need to find ways to make use of new communications technologies to defend their rights.

This is an excellent example.