Jorge Tratman Brown and Magalis Sánchez Molina have several things in common; all of them are related to the world of tobacco, to which they came from different activities, almost by chance, 22 years ago.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- They both work in the Carlos Baliño López Base Business Unit (UEB, by its acronym in Spanish), specifically in the productive process in which the leaves from the chosen ones are transformed and prepared in the fillers and binders required by the industry for the cigar twisting.
Both are smiling, cigar smokers and agree that the processing of the Solanaceae is a rare and precious art, which captures those who practice it and has filled them with joy for more than two decades and who knows for how many more years.
Tratman is a hard worker and brings it in his veins through the blood of his ancestors from the islands of Barbados and Montserrat. He was a union leader in the sugar sector and now accumulates long years as a leader in several processes of the Tobacco Collection, Processing, and Twisting Company.
"I started in the Human Resources Department in the UEB of the municipality of Las Tunas and then I was its director. Then I was in two periods at the head of the Enrique Casals factory. Precisely there, in 2012, a production record of seven million 300 thousand units was achieved. Since 2016 I have been one of the heads at that UEB.
Have you had the experience of working directly with tobacco?
"Never. And I haven't had the idea of learning it either. It sounds unbelievable, but it's the truth. From the factories, I have theoretical knowledge of everything and I know how the processes and standards are handled. I have a degree in Labor Economics and I can evaluate when things are done right or wrong."
Do you leave the door open to do so?
"The future sometimes surprises, but I don't imagine myself in that. It's manual labor and you learn. A six-month course is given and some people start and, immediately, they are making cigars. It's the interest you put into it. I am already 70 years old. I'm retired and rehired. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll make up my mind."
Magalis talks a little and then laughs, with the joy of feeling fulfilled in her daily work. She masters every process related to tobacco, both in theory and in practice, and calmly explains every detail, as if she were doing it in front of students.
She is the head of one of the Workshops at UEB and feels like just another worker because, one way or another, she helps them meet their standards every day. She also has a quick verb and responds to the amazement of the journalists when they look at her hands. "Yes, I do it with these very long fingernails."
Why did you choose the tobacco industry for most of your working life?
"I come from education; I hardly knew about this activity. It was proposed to me, and I decided to experiment. When I did it, I was attracted by the technological process, which is very complex and, at the same time, beautiful. Or rather, beautiful. I started to improve myself and I learned."
"I took a quality control technician course and then I tried out all the tobacco operations. I even dared to roll. Of course, I couldn't do that anymore because I have tendinitis and my hands lose capacity."
"Twisting is an art, and so is the preparation of the leaves."
How did you learn to evaluate the quality of the tobacco purchased from producers?
"I have been in my current job for more than six years and yes, I have learned a lot. I don't smoke tobacco, but I have tested it to determine if it has good combustibility. You can also light a leaf. If the ash is white, it is suitable for twisting. On the other hand, if it comes out black it doesn't have the required conditions to make cigars."
Tratman and Magalis are two strong pillars for tobacco development in Las Tunas. Like them, other workers in the sector honor Lázaro Peña by performing their tasks with passion and commitment.
