Collapse of Dignity: The Story of a Mining Tragedy and the Fight Against Greed and Corruption in Mexico

Gomez, a prominent Mexican union leader, proponent of workers' rights, and winner of the 2011 International Meany-Kirkland Human Rights Award, offers up his side of a complicated, dramatic tale stretching back nearly a decade. In 2006, a mine explosion in northern Mexico trapped 65 people. Rescue operations were suspended after only five days, apparently due to corrupt officials wishing to bury evidence of unsafe working conditions. While not the origin of the conflict between mine owners, a hostile government, and the beleaguered Los Mineros union, it was the catalyst for years of legal battles and more, including a prolonged strike at other mines. With Gomez and his fellow union leaders persecuted, exiled, or arrested, it became a highly visible symbol of workers' rights and government corruption. Gomez's story is part autobiography, part manifesto, as he thoroughly examines the events contributing to the ongoing trouble. While understandably biased from his point of view, it's a damning account of how misused power can cost lives and wreak havoc. Open, honest, and eloquent, Gomez passionately calls for reform and a better world as he condemns the officials and businessmen who exploit the workers. (Apr.)