Organizations, People, and Institutions

CETRAC (Centro de Comunidades y Trabajadores – Center for Workers & Communities) Organization of maquildora and ex-maquiladora workers which grew out of the Sony Strike in 1994. It is united to educate themselves about their rights, to raise awareness, organize and support the workers on issues of exploitation and the necessity to improve their standard of living, and to promote community development projects. We struggle to build a world of equality and social justice, which is united in the international solidarity of workers for a world in which people are more important than the economic interests of the few and where we can retrieve a human vision of work. They are our hosts in Nuevo Laredo and partners with Cross Border Network in much of our work. Principal organizers: Felicitas (Fela) Contreras and Nelly Benitez.

CJM (Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras) a trinational coalition (US, Canada, Mexico) based in San Antonio which educates about the maquiladoras and gives support to workers affected by the integration of the North American economy. Its members are unions, religious groups, social justice organizations, and individuals. Staff: Martha Ojeda, executive director; Jennifer Collins, development director, Megan Bobier, Communications Director.


Some Mexican Labor Organizations

CTM (Confederación de Trabajadores Mexicanos – Confederation of Mexican Workers) The largest official or corporatist (sometimes called charro) labor federation in Mexico, for 70 years carried out policies of the ruling PRI – Institutional Revolutionary Party inside the unions. Now that the PRI is out of power, CTM is dealing with the new government and not much has changed. The CTM along with other government-dominated federations (the CROC and CROM) and a few large unions make up the Congress of Labor, the highest labor body in Mexico. Its leader of 60 years, Secretary General Fidel Velasquez, died in 1997, leaving a power vacuum inadequately filled by Leonardo Rodríguez Alcaine, who does not have the iron grip of his predecessor. On the border the strength of official unionism varies, but in the State of Tamaulipas where Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros are, the CTM has a virtual monopoly. In Nuevo Laredo, the CTM leader is a former waiter named Chema Morales. He is very powerful and very corrupt. In November 1997 the CTM signed a joint declaration with the AFL-CIO reestablishing historical ties, pledging mutual respect for national sovereignty and union autonomy and agreeing to cooperate on immigrant rights issues in the facilitating cross-border contacts between member unions to strengthen representation and rights of Mexican workers in the U.S. and in the maquiladoras in Mexico. They will also jointly analyze the effects of NAFTA. The AFL-CIO has relations with all labor organizations in Mexico.

UNT (Union Nacional de los Trabajadores – National Workers Union) founded in November, 1997 from independent unions and unions which had severed their ties with the Congress of Labor. Its platform calls for political independence, union democracy and a militant fight-back against the government’s neoliberal policies. It’s 150 member unions have 1_ million members. The most significant are the STRM (Telephone Workers Union), STUNAM (Union of Workers of the National Autonomous University), and SNTSS (National Union of Workers of Social Security). The FAT (see below) has also been significant in the leadership. Last year the UNT coordinated work stoppages in solidarity with striking workers at Volkswagon in Puebla and helped them win their strike.

FAT (Frente Autentico del Trabajo – Authentic Workers Front), a small, independent labor and peasant federation formed in the 1960s as an independent alternative for workers. It has a number of members in its metal trades union STIHMACS, and has pioneered from the Mexican side the development of ties to US and Canadian unions starting with the UE, United Electrical Workers and extending to the Canadian Autoworkers and the United Steelworkers today. FAT also supports worker and consumer cooperatives and a concept called autogestión or worker self-management (not as in team concept).


Major Mexican Political Parties

PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional – Institutional Revolutionary Party) Mexico’s ruling party from 1929-2000. It lost its majority in Congress in the 1997 elections (there is no clear majority) and the mayoral race in the last two elections in Mexico City (to the PRD). Already hard at work to maintain control in the elections of 2000. It’s most prominent leader is ex-President Ernesto Zedillo who was just appointed to the Alcoa Board of Directors. It’s most reviled former leader is ex-president Carlos Salinas now a resident of Ireland, and its most infamous former leader is Raul Salinas now in inmate in a Mexican penitentiary.

PAN (Partido de Acción Nacional – National Action Party) Conservative, neoliberal party which in the North generally represents the maquiladora owners, but also rather populist in its calls for an end to political corruption. In Tamaulipas, it is often allied with the PRI. It is now the dominant party controlling the Presidency under Vicente Fox and many governorships.

PRD (Partido Revolucionario Democratico – Party of the Democratic Revolution) a social democratic left alternative party whose founder, Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas probably won the presidential elections of 1988 before they were stolen. He was mayor of Mexico City then clearly lost the elections to Fox in 2000, coming in 3rd. Since then the PRD has been quite divided.

PARM (Partido Autentico de la Revolución Mexicana – Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution) – formed in the 1970s in Tamaulipas. Although it’s much declined since then.


Labor Law/Rights/NAFTA

CAB (Junta de Conciliación y Arbitraje – Conciliation and Arbitration Board) The local labor court made up of an equal number of labor and management representatives and one government representative. The Boards hear complaints under Mexican Federal Labor Law, similar to NLRB but because more rights are embedded in law in Mexico, its jurisdiction is broader.

Article 123 of the Mexican Constitution (1917) guarantees workers the right to organize labor unions and (by implication) the right to bargain and strike. It set minimum labor standards (wage and hour), mandated profit sharing between management and labor, protected women and children, banned pay in scrip, established minimum health and safety standards, and set up the Conciliation and Arbitration Boards.

LFD (Ley Federal de Trabajo – Federal Labor Law) passed in 1931 implementing Article 123, at its time one of the most progressive labor laws in the world. Amendments expanded it to give second-class rights for public employees. Provided for official registro (registration) of three categories of unions: trade unions, unions of particular firms and industrial unions (some local, some national) and also required registro of labor federations. Through this mechanism the government can deny registration and thus any legal standing to unions or union leaders who do not support it politically. Federal labor law ostensibly protects workers from firing without just cause, but if the CAB finds in the worker’s favor the company gets to decide whether it will reinstate the worker or pay three months severance pay and damages.

NAALC (North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation – the so-called NAFTA Labor Side Agreement under which organizations in one country can bring complaints of violations of workers rights in another of the three NAFTA countries. These complaints are then aired in hearings organized by each country’s NAO (National Administrative Office). The worst sanction (except in cases of health and safety violations where trade sanctions are allowed) is to call for ministerial consultations between our Secretary/Ministers of Labor. So far there have been

Maquiladora Owners Association – Powerful employer group in each border town, maintains line against worker organizing, holds down wages, etc. Meets nationally, regionally and locally. In other words, it’s the bosses’ union.