Puerto Rico Unions to Strike Against $1.7 Billion Power Deal (1)

A coalition of Puerto Rico unions plans a series of strikes beginning July 15 to protest a contract that will put power transmission and distribution in the hands of a private consortium.

The Union of Workers for the Electrical and Irrigation Industries, or UTIER, is leading the protests and asking Governor Wanda Vazquez to cancel last month’s approximately $1.7 billion agreement that will allow Luma Energy to run the grid for 15 years.

UTIER President Angel Figueroa Jaramillo said the Luma deal is not in the U.S. commonwealth’s interest, as the consortium is guaranteed an annual payout of at least ...