▁state ▁deput y ▁and ▁city ▁council or . ▁ ▁Activ ism ▁ ▁To ▁save ▁the ▁rain for est , ▁Ch ico ▁M endes ▁and ▁the ▁rub ber ▁workers ▁union ▁asked ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁set ▁up ▁res erves ▁as ▁they ▁wanted ▁people ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁forest ▁without ▁dam aging ▁it . ▁They ▁also ▁used ▁a ▁very ▁effective ▁technique ▁they ▁called ▁the ▁' emp ate ' ▁where ▁rub ber ▁t app ers ▁blocked ▁the ▁way ▁into ▁rub ber ▁res erves , ▁prevent ing ▁their ▁destruction . ▁ ▁The ▁Rub ber ▁T app ers ' ▁Union ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁in ▁the ▁nearby ▁town ▁of ▁Brasile ia , ▁with ▁Wilson ▁Pin he iro ▁elected ▁as ▁the ▁union ' s ▁president ▁and ▁M endes ▁as ▁its ▁secretary . ▁ ▁M endes ▁also ▁played ▁a ▁central ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Council ▁of ▁Rub ber ▁T app ers ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s . ▁M endes ' ▁group ▁also ▁had ▁strong ▁t ies ▁with ▁the ▁National ▁Camp aign ▁for ▁the ▁Def ence ▁and ▁Development ▁of ▁the ▁Amazon , ▁and ▁helped ▁organ ize ▁local ▁Work ers ' ▁Party ▁support . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁first ▁meeting ▁of ▁this ▁new ▁union ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁in ▁the ▁capital ▁Brasil ia , ▁rub ber ▁t app ers ▁from ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁country ▁came . ▁The ▁discussion ▁expanded ▁from ▁the ▁thre ats ▁to ▁their ▁own ▁liv elihood s ▁to ▁the ▁larger ▁issues ▁of ▁road ▁p aving , ▁cattle ▁ran