A Victory with Judicial Backing
The election at the Commerce Employees Union of the Federal Capital (SEC) had an expected outcome: Armando Cavalieri was re-elected as Secretary General, but not without overcoming a judicial hurdle that marked the entire campaign. The List Celeste-Verde, led by Sabrina Paredes, was excluded from the elections by decision of the Sala VIII of the National Chamber of Labor Appeals, which confirmed the existence of 1,238 irregularities in the endorsements submitted by the opposition group.
According to the ruling, the list did not reach the minimum number of endorsements required by the union's bylaws: 3% of active members, equivalent to 1,504 signatures. The handwriting expert analysis detected that of the 1,649 endorsements initially submitted, 1,238 had inconsistencies, leaving the list well below the required threshold.
“The participation of more than 16,200 members demonstrates the unity and strength of our union,” Cavalieri declared after the results were announced.
A Historic Union Leader
With this new victory, Cavalieri will assume his eleventh consecutive term leading the SEC, a position he has held since 1985. This time, he will be accompanied as Deputy Secretary by Carlos Pérez, who was also re-elected and continues to lead OSECAC, the union's social health care organization.
The union, which has approximately 55,000 members, once again showed high participation in elections marked by judicial controversy. The ruling List Azul presented more than 15,000 endorsements, well above the minimum required, which strengthened its position before the courts.
Electoral Background
In the 2022 elections, Cavalieri had already defeated Ramón Muerza with 70% of the votes (14,547 against 6,482). That contest also had judicial back-and-forth, but the final result was overwhelming in favor of the ruling list.
This time, the opposition denounced “delaying tactics” and “proscription,” but the National Chamber of Labor Appeals considered the irregularities in the endorsements to be “objective and verifiable,” so the exclusion was confirmed.
What the Endorsement System Means
The endorsement system is a statutory requirement designed to ensure that lists running in elections have a minimum level of support from union members. In the case of the SEC, 3% of active members is required, which in absolute numbers represents 1,504 signatures. Handwriting expert analysis is a key tool to verify the authenticity of signatures and prevent fraud.
In this case, the labor courts acted swiftly to resolve the challenge before the elections, allowing the vote to proceed normally and without major setbacks.
A Key Union in Wage Negotiations
The SEC is one of the most important unions in the country, not only for its number of members but also for its role in collective bargaining for the commerce sector, which impacts thousands of workers. Cavalieri, with more than four decades at the helm of the union, is a central figure in Argentine unionism, and his re-election ensures continuity in the negotiation strategy with the National Government.
In his first statements, the re-elected Secretary General committed to “defending wages and workers' rights” in the face of the challenges posed by the current economic context.
Source: Crónica