On January 28-30, Cathy Feingold, the Solidarity Center’s country program director for the Dominican Republic and Haiti, met with union partners in Port-au-Prince to conduct a needs assessment, provide direct financial support, and develop a joint ongoing support plan for Haiti’s unions throughout the various phases of disaster response. Below are excerpts from her daily journal of activities while on the ground in Haiti.

	Dukens Raphael, general secretary of CTSP, the Confederation of Public and Private Sector Workers, stands in front of CTSP's collapsed headquarters. Photo by Cathy Feingold

Despite reports of improved conditions in Port-au-Prince, two weeks since the earthquake hit Haiti, workers still lack basic shelter, food, water, and medicine. The majority of union leaders and members are sleeping outside their homes because many completely collapsed or became unstable as a result of structural damage. Direct access to international humanitarian aid remains challenging; so many workers and their unions depend on the support received from the global labor movement.

Since the majority of Haitian workers worked in the informal economy, they have difficulty returning to their jobs and also lack access to any social or job protections. Market women have returned to the streets of Port-au-Prince, offering a wide range of produce but at prices beyond the reach of most Haitians. Cash flow remains an enormous challenge for international organizations, employers, and workers. Bank closings prevented organizations from transferring large amounts of funds and employers from paying their workers. Workers who still have employment in the private sector do not know when they will receive their next paycheck.
 
While in Haiti, I met with representatives from nine unions and worker rights organizations to assess needs and develop a plan for further disaster response. The Solidarity Center is supporting AUMOHD, a worker education and legal support organization, to continue to provide services and support to workers. Since the AUMOHD office in Delmas escaped severe damage, the office is being used as a space where workers and their families can go for shade, food, and support. Following conversations and meetings among several key Haitian union partners, most have agreed to have AUMOHD serve as a common distribution center for Solidarity Center supplies sent from the Dominican Republic. This arrangement allows for greater coordination and organization and enables unions to more effectively match assistance to identified needs.

Although I met with many union leaders and worker rights activists, I want to highlight a meeting with Dukens Raphael, general secretary of CTSP, the Confederation of Public and Private Sector Workers. CTSP’s office completely collapsed, but working together, union members were able to save Norzilus Pierre, a 37-year-old electrical worker who was on the bottom of the building. Dukens now works out of a makeshift office in a parking lot with three chairs and a computer. Despite losing everything, he thinks it is important to maintain a space where workers can come. His union workspace is across from the electrical company, where Dominican electricity company workers have parked their cars as they try to help the Haitian Government restore basic power in Port-au-Prince. The union is also working with the government social security program to try to secure housing for the thousands of workers without shelter.

On the basis of consultations with the nine union partners, the Solidarity Center will continue to provide direct emergency funds and will send food, water, and medical supplies directly to Haiti for distribution through the union-led assistance effort. The Solidarity Center will also prioritize communication, technological, and energy needs for partners, so that unions can continue to reach out to members and carry out their work. As conditions improve in Port-au-Prince, the Solidarity Center will help partners develop and support direct union-to-union reconstruction efforts.