Union asks governor to intervene in dispute with State Insurance Fund Corp.

State Insurance Fund Corp. Administrator Noé Marcano Rivera (X/Twitter)

By The Star Staff

The State Insurance Fund Corporation Employees Union (UECFSE by its Spanish initials) has requested the intervention of Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia due to alleged violations of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) by the new administrator of the public corporation, Noé Marcano Rivera, and his representatives.

In a letter sent to the governor earlier this week, UECFSE President María Medina Domenech detailed a series of grievances related to actions that the union says contravene the CBA, including the non-recognition of the union as the official representative of the more than 1,700 unionized employees, the denial of union leave to UECFSE officers, and the failure to comply with agreed upon stipulations following concurrent actions on May 11, 2023. The union also filed complaints about recruitment practices for union members, staff movements and trade union discrimination, such as the denial of the use of the corporation’s premises for orientation sessions with union members.

“The administrator of the Corporation, Noé Marcano Rivera, has established an environment of extreme hostility toward the unionized employees of the CFSE,” Medina Domenech wrote in the letter. “Among the situations highlighted are: the non-recognition of the Union as the exclusive representative of the workers, continuous threats and lack of respect, and the issuance of guidelines that violate the rights of the unionized.”

Marcano Rivera was appointed administrator of the CFSE in December 2023 and took office in January of this year.

Medina Domenech stressed that the aforementioned practices have been the subject of complaints made to the Labor Relations Board for constituting illegal labor practices, and noted a total non-compliance with decisions and orders prior to the administration of Marcano Rivera.

“Workers at the State Insurance Fund Corporation have been dealing with similar situations for a long time, as the previous administrator also engaged in questionable labor practices,” the union leader said. “The workers I represent demand and deserve an environment of labor peace.