of Bishops, dated to 18 July 2007, he stated: Progress is needed on the subject of collective bargaining on the issue of the company's outsourcing. Recent events are a sign of insufficient legislation in this area. The right to collective bargaining in effective terms is a basic right that the international community and the Church itself recognizes as belonging to workers. This recognition is not complete without avenues to prevent the worker from collaborating with those who most directly benefit from the fruits of his labor. Other issues During the first months of 2008, he served as a mediator between the government and Patricia Troncoso, a pro-Mapuche political prisoner who held a hunger strike for 112 days. In 2009, the Chilean Conference of Bishops, through the Goic's influence, posed the creation of a general presidential pardon for the year 2010, called the "Bicentennial Pardon". This appeal was subsequently recognized by the government. However, the possibility that military personnel convicted of violations of human rights would benefit from the pardon was ruled out by government spokesperson Carolina Tohá. The pardon was slated to take place after the 2009–2010 presidential election (that is, between mid-January and early March 2010). Controversies Ethical salaries In 2007, just weeks after the state mining company Codelco reached an agreement with the outsourced employees, the prelate said in an interview that the minimum salary of $144,000 CLP (ca. $270 USD) should be replaced by an "ethical wage", which, in his opinion, would be not less than $250,000 CLP (ca. $470 USD). His remarks caused mixed reactions in the country's political, social, and business spheres. Some characters in the political and business landscape, such as Senator Evelyn Matthei, were skeptical of Bishop Goic's suggestion due to the potential negative effects it could have on small- and medium-sized enterprises; some considered the measure "manipulative". Nevertheless, many political parties and the Government itself were in favor of the proposal. On 23 August, following a debate launched by Goic, President Michelle Bachelet announced the formation of the Social Equity Advisory Council "Towards a Fairer Chile" (Hacia un Chile más Justo), which aims to propose reforms to Chilean labor. Homosexual unions In November 2009, Goic expressed concern at the emergence of same-sex couples in party political broadcasts for the presidential election of that year, particularly in advertisements for the candidates Eduardo Frei and Sebastián Piñera; the latter was criticized for this issue