Saturnin G. Mauge, educator, charismatic leader, strong union activist and President of Local 900, represented his rank and file with honesty, dignity and intelligence. As you know, during the U.S. administration’s control over the Panama Canal and the Canal Zone, non-citizen canal employees, mostly descendants of the Silvermen-- builders of the canal, had an arduous struggle in their quest, as workers, for unionization and equality. Since the 1920 canal strike by the Silvermen, their attempts to create a union that was truly representative was always viewed as a threat by the U.S. Panama Canal workers, their efforts were constantly undermined and labor-related requests were summarily denied.
Local 900 (offshoot of Local 713 and the Colored Teachers’ Association) was established in 1950, after some thirty years of struggle against the opposition of the U.S. white-collar workers’ dominance of labor issues on the Canal Zone by the Central Labor Union and Metal Trade Council (CLU/MTC). The constant attacks and slander by the CLU/MTC ultimately led to the resignation of its first President, and also an educator, Edward Gaskin.
Mr. Mauge was elected President immediately in 1957, and was reelected eight times. He fought decisively, with firmness and conviction, gave a voice and vote to all the laborers, the union members, and rose above and beyond all of the challenges in defense of the workers, calling attention to the blatant discrepancies and inequalities in the existing workforce.
He was a formidable force to be reckoned with in the implementation in 1958 of the Federal Retirement Plan, and the Hospitalization Insurance regulation for all workers in 1960, as non-citizen workers were rejected by the U.S. workers within the CLU/MTC. Mr. Mauge, stood firm and held his ground, despite the threat of being fired from his position as an educator, and won the battle for its just and equal implementation. He also was instrumental in the implementation of the Apprenticeship Program for the canal non-citizen employees.
The bloody flag riot/protest on January 9, 1964, produced great tension between U.S. workers, and the non-citizens’ unions. Under Mr. Mauge’s expert leadership and diplomacy, he was able to effectively mitigate the threats, intimidations and abuses.
The 1968 October Revolution in Panama also placed the agenda of new treaty negotiations on the forefront. It opened the process for a new negotiation within the criteria of Panama’s complete sovereignty. Local 900, and its sister chapter Local 907, were assigned as committee members between Panama’s negotiators and they were consulted vastly during this process. At one point in the negotiations, Mr. Mauge, in an unprecedented act, removed himself from the table of negotiations when he saw the possibility of Panamanian workers losing ground against U.S. workers. When U. S. workers called in a “sick out” or went on a strike in 1976 paralyzing the Canal, no support was given to them by his union.
Despite his steadfast leadership, Mr. Mauge suffered many indignities. On one hand he was labeled a “vende patria,” and on the other he was called a communist. He never lost focus of the struggle of the Panamanian workers during the Canal Zone regime. He traveled extensively to Congress to lobby and expose the issues of the Panamanian workers. Most of the laws regarding workers’ regulations, including salary increases for Federal workers, were never extended to the non-citizen workers. On his trips to Congress, he strongly emphasized the need to extend effective benefits to all canal workers without distinction of nationality.
In 1979, Mr. Mauge decided not to run for office, and returned fully to his first calling, that of an educator. He did not abandon the union, or the members, or the struggles. He became Vice President of the International AFSCME, always at the forefront of defending the workers’ rights and their plight!
Mr. Mauge died on January 2, 1993, at the age of 63. A premature death, it was felt profoundly by his family, union members, colleagues, students and friends. He defended the Panamanian workers and their rights with dignity, intelligence and wisdom and a clear conscience! Professor, Saturnin G. Mauge, a remarkable human being, a hero to his “village”and a great representative of the Criollo generation, will always be remembered and honored as a champion defender of the rights of the non-citizen Panama Canal employees.
Sat, as he was called affectionately, was a pleasant and kind person, always with a smile and a mild-mannered disposition, ready to literally “give the shirt off his back” to assist anyone with their concerns, especially if they were labor related. I am honored to have been one of his students, and am greatly rewarded from that experience.
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