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A three-day strike by workers at a Johnson Controls auto parts plant in Puebla, Mexico, backed by an international solidarity campaign, has won the workers the right to be represented by a union of their free choice. The agreement sets an important precedent in Mexico where employers often sign "protection contracts" with corrupt unions without the workers' knowledge and/or consent in order to prevent those workers from organizing or affiliating with a democratic union.
A briefing note on the economic impacts of the crisis on Mexico's textile and apparel industry and the Federal Government's response.
Between Blue Waters, A History of Violence by Socorro Chablé tells the story of Reyna Ramírez, who started working in maquilas in Puebla, Mexico when she was just 13. Working for years in the unhealthily maquila environment eventually took a toll on her body and she developed throat, respiratory problems, headaches and muscle aches.
Now Reyna heads the Collective of Defiant Women Workers, a Puebla NGO which helps women maquila workers, with a particular focus on health issues. The group is collaborating with the Hesperian Foundation and using several of their publications on workplace health to develop training courses for maquila workers.
A report on the effects of free trade and the restructuring jean industry on workers, indigenous communities and the environment in the Tehuacan Valley, Mexico. Calls for local action and international solidarity, and cautions against extending the Tehuacan economic model to southern Mexico and Central America through the Plan Puebla-Panama. Also available in Spanish.
Collected by MSN, this presentation shows statistics that highlight the decline of Mexico's garment industry since the end of the Multi-fiber Arrangement.
Vaqueros Navarra workers took to the streets this month as growing evidence suggests their factory was closed to eliminate an independent union.
Workers at the Vaqueros Navarra jean factory in Tehuacan, Mexico who voted to be represented by the independent September 19 Union are facing new stumbling blocks as they struggle to secure their victory. MSN and the Union are calling on brands to place new orders with the factory to ensure it reopens after the holiday break.
On November 23, workers at the Vaqueros Navarra jean factory in Tehuacan, Mexico stood up to their employer and voted to be represented by an independent union.
An October 18 letter from three major US brands addressed to senior management of the Mexican blue jean manufacturer, Grupo Navarra, verifies worker allegations that the company has been harassing, dismissing and forcing them to sign resignation letters for attempting to form an independent union.
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