Boron Vacation Part 3: Rio Tinto Borax Labor Dispute Lock Out

The signs were everywhere, literally. As I walked into Domingo's, I saw the sign. As I checked in at the Boron Motel, I saw the sign. But what was going on?

As I paid my check at Domingo's, I saw a couple walking out with union shirts and placards. I stopped and asked them. He was a teacher and she belonged to the SEIU. The contract between Rio Tinto, the multi-national mining conglomerate and the local union laborers (around 500 of them) expired. Talks have failed. The company locked the workers out and brought in scabs. The town has been tense and depressed ever since. 500 men and women have not worked for two weeks.

I decide to investigate. The next morning, I go to the borax mine. As I approach the entrance, I am welcomed by a 35 foot inflatable rat, four police cars, and dozens of picketing workers. Most of the miners belong to the ILWU, longshoremen, so quite a few burly men from Long Beach/San Pedro are standing in solidarity with them. Afraid that they may mistakenly believe that I am a narc, I leave my camera and notebook in the car.

I talk to the men. They are frustrated. With each contract, they lose more and more. Health care has been slowly cut. Retirement contributions have been slashed. Seniority has become irrelevant. Not even a 40 hour work week is guaranteed anymore. They are scared. And pissed. The mine is literally becoming like Wal-Mart. Two of the guys I met are third generation miners from town. Their grandfathers were lured to Boron, in the middle of nowhere, with the promise of an honest job at a decent wage and a safe, thriving, town for their families. Their American Dream is no more.

But then we have Rio Tinto's perspective. I asked my investment banker friend who is deep down inside a hard core liberal. He said that Rio Tinto is no more evil than any other corporation. In this global capitalist economy, the drive ever downwards in wages and working conditions is inevitable. Rio Tinto has to do it to stay competitive and to satiate its investors. It has little choice. It would be irresponsible if it didn't do what it is doing.

So what's the solution? I'm not sure. Nothing is black and white. I do feel pretty badly for those men without jobs, and their families at home.