The North Shore Colombia Solidarity Committee Blog

I am Orlando Acosta, with a bachelor degree from an industrial technical institute in Santa Marta, Colombia. I graduated in 1979. From 1979 to 1982, I was self-employed in construction and mining; from 1982 to 1986, I worked for the Morrison Canunsen Company that contracts with Exxon. In 1987 I worked with Intercor, a mining company and in 1998, I began to work for Drummond Colombia. I have worked for Drummond for 10 years. I began to participate in the union in 1987 as a union delegate. In 2006 I was elected president of the Cienaga local and currently, I am charged with Internal Affairs Investigation in the national union, Sintraminergética.

My plans are to continue to focus on bettering the working conditions of my union brothers in mining, improve the role of the union in the mine where I work and in the other mines in the country. I am also a mechanical technician and after I retire I would like to work as an instructor in educational projects aimed at the less fortunate classes in society and workers in mining that don’t have these kinds of educational opportunities. I am also studying environmental management in the University of Magdalena with the goal of contributing to the improving the work environment and occupational health and safety in mining.

I am married and have been fortunate in my family and being able to provide them with financial security. I have a 24-year old daughter who graduated as a systems engineer, a twenty-year old son that will soon be entering the university and a twelve-year old son in school. Since 1987 I have been a union leader and we have been able to resolve issues with the company, negotiate terms and conditions that have improved our working conditions and to the company’s progress.

I traveled in June 2007 at the request of lawyers that are handling the case of the union leaders that have been assassinated and disappeared.

Orlando Acosta was selected to participate in this exchange because he is a national leader of workers in the mining sector. He is an open, honest citizen and very well respected by the membership of his organization.