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February 28, 2001
Mexican Officials State that US Unions Want to Destabilize Mexican
Unions
Jesús Mendoza Reyes, secretary general of the Matamoros
union SITPME, confirmed statements by Carlos Abascal, the secretario
de Trabajo (secretary of work), that US unions seek to destabilize
Mexican unions.
Mendoza said that the problem is most common in companies
established along the border as US unions believe that Mexican
jobs there should belong to them. He also pointed out that US
unions are trying to scare away investment, particularly that
which comes from the US.
Mendoza stated that Matamoros has been fortunate that problems
created by agitators have not become too serious although they
have managed to give a bad reputation to some plants established
in the city.
The SITPME, through its union representatives, is alerting
workers so that they are not fooled by agitators that only want
to close their plants, according to Mendoza.
Mendoza also mentioned that in its twelve years of operations,
the SITPME has confronted at least a dozen agitators all of whom
have been expelled from Matamoros because they pose a threat
to workers.
[FNS note: it's rare that a couple months go by without an article
from the Matamoros press that quotes union leaders as saying
that they are protecting their workers from US-backed agitators.
For more information on this phenomena go to the FNS archives
at http://www.nmsu.edu/~frontera/sep00/feat2.html]
Source: El Mañana, February 24, 2001. Article by
Mauro L. de la Fuente Loayzat.
February 26, 2001
Matamoros Education News: Drug Threat, New Computer Labs, Teacher
Shortage
Under the headline, "Narcos Threaten Schools,"
Matamoros' El Mañana newspaper states that drug
dealers are opening markets outside junior high and high schools
because students "are more vulnerable." According to
the article, drugs are sold by sidewalk snack vendors in cups
of soda or wrapped as pieces of candy.
The problem has been getting worse over the current school year
according to a Matamoros' parents group (Mesa Directiva de Padres
de Familia). The president of the group, Miguel Arturo García,
said that parents have been trying for a year to get a backpack-inspection
system put in place in the schools and have tried to get sidewalk
vendors banned from the areas around schools. Neither initiative
has had any success according to García.
The state police (Policía Ministerial del Estado, PME)
have corroborated parents' suspicions that some sidewalk vendors
are dealing drugs. Last year undercover PME agents arrested two
sidewalk vendors for selling drugs outside of schools numbers
61 and 4.
In a separate article, El Mañana reports that 184
million pesos (approximately US$ 18.4 million) will be invested
in 184 new computer labs for an equal number of high schools
in Tamaulipas. The investment will take place during the school
year 2001-2002. Baltazar Hinojosa Ochoa, state secretary of education,
culture and sports (secretario de educación, cultura y
deporte), made the announcement about the computer labs at a
February 20 press conference at the Universidad Pedagógica
Nacional de Matamoros.
Hinojosa also said that the state has a shortage of 89 teachers
and 370 classrooms. To remedy this 350 million pesos (US$35 million)
will be used to build the needed classrooms. To remedy the problem
of the teacher deficit money is being sent to the cities with
the worst problems.
Source: El Mañana, February 21 & 22, 2001.
Articles by Juan Pablo Sánchez Carreón & Efraín
Martínez Félix.
February 21, 2001
SJOIIM Officially Announces Amaro as New Interim Leader
Beginning today and until April 30, 2002 Joel Amaro Vázquez
will be the interim secretary general of the Matamoros Maquiladora
Industry Workers' Union (Sindicato de Jornaleros y Obreros Industriales
de la Industria Maquiladora, SJOIIM).
Although SJOIIM decisions will be made jointly between the
29 members of the union's executive committee, Amaro is the new
head of the SJOIIM which is a CTM organization. The CTM, or Confederación
de Trabajadores de México (Confederation of Mexican Workers),
which for years had helped the PRI remain in power, is now looking
for a new role in the political and economic life of Mexico.
The number two person in the SJOIIM is Juan Villafuerte Morales,
union spokesperson and secretario al exterior (exterior- or foreign-relations
secretary). Carmen Vielma is the number three person in the union.
She is the union treasurer.
The SJOIIM is currently looking into the alleged firing of
dozens of workers at the Deltrónicos plant in Matamoros
on Friday, February 16. The union is upset that the firings occurred
during the funeral proceedings of the previous, long-time SJOIIM
leader Agapito González Cavazos.
Source: El Bravo, February 19 & 20, 2001. Article
by Víctor Manuel Villegas.
February 19, 2001
SJOIIM Plans to Attend CTM Meeting Says New Leader
Joel Amaro, newly-appointed head of the Matamoros Maquiladora
Industry Workers' Union (Sindicato de Jornaleros y Obreros Industriales
de la Industria Maquiladora, SJOIIM), said that a fair salary
for workers is one of the issues that the SJOIIM delegation will
take to the national meeting of the Confederación de Trabajadores
de México (Confederation of Mexican Workers, CTM).
"Globalization does not recognize the rights of workers,
it is not responsive to their needs and only recognizes quality
production in the least time possible," Amaro said. Amaro
also announced that more than 260 SJOIIM delegates will attend
the CTM's national assembly.
Agapito González Cavazos, the previous long-time head
of the SJOIIM, died last week.
The CTM, which for years had helped the PRI remain in power,
is now considered to be looking for a new role in the political
and economic life of Mexico.
Source: El Bravo, February 16, 2001. Article by Víctor
Manuel Villegas.
February 15, 2001
Matamoros Transportation Providers Threaten Cut Back if Crime
Continues
Regarding the recent increase in robberies of bus drivers
in Matamoros, Juan Baez Balderas, secretary general of the Matamoros
transportation organization FUTAMMYC, stated that, "Either
more attention has to be given to the protection of our drivers
or we will have to cut back on our schedules and routes in dangerous
parts of the city."
Baez said that it is lamentable that the number of assaults on
microbusses is growing. The worst part of town is in the Esperanza
colonia (neighborhood) where the state police have had to intervene,
he said. Drivers and often passengers are robbed in the assaults.
Baez also stated that the FUTAMMYC does not wish to harm people
that depend on bus service--students and workers in particular--but
authorities need to control the city's crime wave. Without safe
working conditions it would be difficult for companies to expand
transportation services into other parts of the city.
Source: El Mañana, February 13, 2001. Article by
José María Barrientos.
February 13, 2001
Government Reaction to Matamoros Strikes & Negotiations
The February 13, El Mañana newspaper out of
Reynosa, Tamaulipas reports on government reaction to the tense,
Matamoros contract negotiations that resulted in strikes and
corporate work stoppages in that city.
Jorge Reyes Moreno, secretary of Economic Development and
Employment for the state (Desarrollo Económico y del Empleo),
says that investors outside of Tamaulipas are insistent that
labor stability must be guaranteed before outside investment
comes to the state.
In his talks with investors interested in Tamaulipas, Reyes
said that these source of capital have, "made clear the
necessity of the rule of law, without which it will be difficult
to establish new plants." Referring to the level of stability
that investors require, Reyes added that in maquiladora contract
revisions, "breakdowns in talks must be avoided and agreements
must be reached or else there will be a lamentable environment
of instability."
Reyes continued by saying," the problem with instability
is that the conditions for long-term investments do not exist,
that is, plants or companies that expand to Tamaulipas will only
have temporary projects that will not solve unemployment."
Source: El Mañana, February 13, 2001.
February 9, 2001
Matamoros Contract Negotiations Almost Completed
By last night 17 more companies had signed salary-increase
agreements with the Maquiladora Industry Workers' Union (Sindicato
de Jornaleros y Obreros Industriales de la Industria Maquiladora,
SJOIIM). This means that a total of 33 of companies have signed
the agreement for a 12% raise to workers' salaries. Seventeen
companies have not yet signed the contract.
Juan Villafuerte Morales, the SJOIIM exterior secretary, said
that he hopes all companies will have signed the agreement by
the end of today in keeping with the spirit of compromise that
has existed between the union and companies over the last two
days.
El Bravo also notes that while the SJOIIM had originally
asked for 20% raises for its workers, the government later asked
the union to request a raise of only 12.75%.
The newspaper also stated that the maquiladoras were forced
to sign the 12% raise because they have commitments to their
clients and therefore cannot afford strikes in their plants.
The new contract will run for two years.
Workers are also happy with the agreement because the raise is
retroactive to the beginning of the year.
Source: El Bravo, February 9, 2001. Article by Rosy Pereda
y Norberto Calvario.
February 7, 2001
Strikes and Work Stoppages Result from Matamoros Contract Negotiations
The Brownsville Herald cites stalled contract negotiations
as the reason for strikes at two Matamoros maquiladoras on Tuesday,
February 6. The strikes began at 2 pm at the Gobar Gobar SA de
CV and Federal Mogul plants.
The other 48 plants that are involved in the current round
of contract negotiations with the SJOIIM labor union stopped
operations at around 3:30 pm to show solidarity with Gobar and
Federal Mogul.
The story did not indicate the duration of the strike or the
work stoppages. However, it was mentioned that workers at another
20 plants are scheduled to go on strike today.
Prior to yesterday's actions, all the previously planned strikes
had been officially delayed by the SJOIIM.
Originally, the union had wanted a 30% wage increase but it
is now asking for 13% perhaps in part because of a minimum wage
increase for the region. The maquiladoras were last offering
11% raises.
Source: The Brownsville Herald, February 7, 2001. Article
by Angeles Negrete Lares.
February 1, 2001
Both Sides Make Threats in Matamoros Contract Negotiations
Manuel Antonio Cappella, president of the Matamoros Maquiladora
Association (Asociación de Maquiladoras de Matamoros),
has said that 50 Matamoros maquiladoras have agreed to a work
stoppage if the Maquiladora Industry Workers' Union (Sindicato
de Jornaleros y Obreros Industriales de la Industria Maquiladora,
SJOIM) begins staggered strikes against any of the 50 companies.
The SJOIIM and numerous Matamoros maquiladoras are currently
engaged in contract negotiations.
Cappella also stated that many Matamoros companies are currently
confronting a difficult situation because of the contraction
of the US market. He added that 400 people have already been
fired in Matamoros and that companies are no longer hiring.
[Note: previous FNS articles related that the business community
wanted to hold wage increases to about 13% which is near the
rate of inflation. The SJOIIM last stated that it wanted raises
in the range of 20-30%. Also, just as in Matamoros, some maquiladoras
in Cd. Juárez have also stopped hiring and are shrinking
their work forces by not replacing workers that leave the company.]
Source: El Bravo, January 31, 2001.
January 30, 2001
Migrant Protection Group Helped over 6,800 in 3 Month Period
Grupo Beta spokesperson María de la Paz Reyes Díaz
said that Beta agents assisted 6,823 migrants near the Matamoros
border with the US in the three-month period between October
11, 2000 and January 15, 2001. She also stated that two people
drowned in the Rio Grande/Río Bravo during this period,
bringing the one-year total to 22 people.
Of the 6,823 Beta interventions, 6,035 were in the form of
verbal advice and direction giving to migrants. This is in line
with Beta's job of helping migrants to avoid dangerous situations
such as river crossings and relations with human smugglers.
The other 183 interventions by the Beta group involved giving
migrants food and/or legal assistance. Beta also helped some
of the 183 get to migrant shelters known along the border as
"casas migrantes."
Spokesperson Reyes also noted that Grupo Beta had received
water-rescue equipment from the Instituto Nacional de Migración
and the Dirección General de Grupos de Protección
al Migrante en el País.
Source: El Mañana, January 26, 2001. Article by
Juan Pablo Sánchez Carreon.
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